Human Schistosomiasis

Overview

Journal Lancet

Publisher Elsevier

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2014 Apr 5

PMID 24698483

Citations 1195

Authors

Daniel G Colley

Amaya L Bustinduy

W Evan Secor

Charles H King

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Human schistosomiasis--or bilharzia--is a parasitic disease caused by trematode flukes of the genus Schistosoma. By conservative estimates, at least 230 million people worldwide are infected with Schistosoma spp. Adult schistosome worms colonise human blood vessels for years, successfully evading the immune system while excreting hundreds to thousands of eggs daily, which must either leave the body in excreta or become trapped in nearby tissues. Trapped eggs induce a distinct immune-mediated granulomatous response that causes local and systemic pathological effects ranging from anaemia, growth stunting, impaired cognition, and decreased physical fitness, to organ-specific effects such as severe hepatosplenism, periportal fibrosis with portal hypertension, and urogenital inflammation and scarring. At present, preventive public health measures in endemic regions consist of treatment once every 1 or 2 years with the isoquinolinone drug, praziquantel, to suppress morbidity. In some locations, elimination of transmission is now the goal; however, more sensitive diagnostics are needed in both the field and clinics, and integrated environmental and health-care management will be needed to ensure elimination.

Citing Articles

Improving the health of the rural population in India through bundling WASH practices.

Nguyen T, Rahut D, Timilsina R, Do M, Sonobe T, Manchanda N Front Health Serv. 2025; 5:1500504.

PMID: 40046720 PMC: 11879964. DOI: 10.3389/frhs.2025.1500504.

Biochemical, coagulation, and platelet count profiles among Schistosoma mansoni infected patients attending at selected Dembiya health institutions, Northwest Ethiopia.

Abebe W, Lemma W, Tegegne Y, Sisay A, Misganaw T, Ayana S BMC Microbiol. 2025; 25(1):119.

PMID: 40045196 PMC: 11881258. DOI: 10.1186/s12866-025-03838-3.

Application of microphysiological systems to unravel the mechanisms of schistosomiasis egg extravasation.

Alfred M, Ochola L, Okeyo K, Bae E, Ogongo P, Odongo D Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2025; 15:1521265.

PMID: 40041145 PMC: 11876127. DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1521265.

Neuroschistosomiasis presenting as recurrent seizures: A case report.

Bansal A, Albano J, Jayakumar D Surg Neurol Int. 2025; 16:51.

PMID: 40041065 PMC: 11878708. DOI: 10.25259/SNI_1115_2024.

Antischistosomal Potential of Animal-Derived Natural Products and Compounds.

Fischer-Carvalho A, Taveira-Barbosa T, Verjovski-Almeida S, Haeberlein S, Sena Amaral M Microorganisms. 2025; 13(2).

PMID: 40005763 PMC: 11858059. DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms13020397.

References

King C, Dangerfield-Cha M . The unacknowledged impact of chronic schistosomiasis. Chronic Illn. 2008; 4(1):65-79. DOI: 10.1177/1742395307084407. View

Ibironke O, Koukounari A, Asaolu S, Moustaki I, Shiff C . Validation of a new test for Schistosoma haematobium based on detection of Dra1 DNA fragments in urine: evaluation through latent class analysis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2012; 6(1):e1464. PMC: 3250497. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001464. View

Yole D, Pemberton R, Reid G, Wilson R . Protective immunity to Schistosoma mansoni induced in the olive baboon Papio anubis by the irradiated cercaria vaccine. Parasitology. 1996; 112 ( Pt 1):37-46. DOI: 10.1017/s0031182000065057. View

Khalaf I, Shokeir A, Shalaby M . Urologic complications of genitourinary schistosomiasis. World J Urol. 2011; 30(1):31-8. DOI: 10.1007/s00345-011-0751-7. View

Kallestrup P, Zinyama R, Gomo E, Butterworth A, Mudenge B, van Dam G . Schistosomiasis and HIV-1 infection in rural Zimbabwe: effect of treatment of schistosomiasis on CD4 cell count and plasma HIV-1 RNA load. J Infect Dis. 2005; 192(11):1956-61. DOI: 10.1086/497696. View

van Oordt B, van den Heuvel J, Tielens A, Van Den Bergh S . The energy production of the adult Schistosoma mansoni is for a large part aerobic. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 1985; 16(2):117-26. DOI: 10.1016/0166-6851(85)90080-5. View

Sousa-Figueiredo J, Betson M, Stothard J . Treatment of schistosomiasis in African infants and preschool-aged children: downward extension and biometric optimization of the current praziquantel dose pole. Int Health. 2012; 4(2):95-102. PMC: 3407873. DOI: 10.1016/j.inhe.2012.03.003. View

Kjetland E, Leutscher P, Ndhlovu P . A review of female genital schistosomiasis. Trends Parasitol. 2012; 28(2):58-65. DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2011.10.008. View

Terer C, Bustinduy A, Magtanong R, Muhoho N, Mungai P, Muchiri E . Evaluation of the health-related quality of life of children in Schistosoma haematobium-endemic communities in Kenya: a cross-sectional study. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2013; 7(3):e2106. PMC: 3591318. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002106. View

10.

Richter J, Correia Dacal A, Vergetti Siqueira J, Poggensee G, Mannsmann U, Deelder A . Sonographic prediction of variceal bleeding in patients with liver fibrosis due to Schistosoma mansoni. Trop Med Int Health. 1998; 3(9):728-35. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-3156.1998.00285.x. View

11.

Evan Secor W, Shah A, Mwinzi P, Ndenga B, Watta C, Karanja D . Increased density of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 coreceptors CCR5 and CXCR4 on the surfaces of CD4(+) T cells and monocytes of patients with Schistosoma mansoni infection. Infect Immun. 2003; 71(11):6668-71. PMC: 219584. DOI: 10.1128/IAI.71.11.6668-6671.2003. View

12.

Jukes M, Nokes C, Alcock K, Lambo J, Kihamia C, Ngorosho N . Heavy schistosomiasis associated with poor short-term memory and slower reaction times in Tanzanian schoolchildren. Trop Med Int Health. 2002; 7(2):104-17. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-3156.2002.00843.x. View

13.

Walter K, Fulford A, McBeath R, Joseph S, Jones F, Kariuki H . Increased human IgE induced by killing Schistosoma mansoni in vivo is associated with pretreatment Th2 cytokine responsiveness to worm antigens. J Immunol. 2006; 177(8):5490-8. DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.177.8.5490. View

14.

King C, Keating C, Muruka J, Ouma J, Houser H, Siongok T . Urinary tract morbidity in schistosomiasis haematobia: associations with age and intensity of infection in an endemic area of Coast Province, Kenya. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1988; 39(4):361-8. DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.1988.39.361. View

15.

Carabin H, Marshall C, Joseph L, Riley S, Olveda R, McGarvey S . Estimating the intensity of infection with Schistosoma japonicum in villagers of leyte, Philippines. Part I: a Bayesian cumulative logit model. The schistosomiasis transmission and ecology project (STEP). Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2005; 72(6):745-53. View

16.

Leenstra T, Acosta L, Langdon G, Manalo D, Su L, Olveda R . Schistosomiasis japonica, anemia, and iron status in children, adolescents, and young adults in Leyte, Philippines 1. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006; 83(2):371-9. DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/83.2.371. View

17.

Katz N, Chaves A, Pellegrino J . A simple device for quantitative stool thick-smear technique in Schistosomiasis mansoni. Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo. 1972; 14(6):397-400. View

18.

Allan F, Dunn A, Emery A, Stothard J, Johnston D, Kane R . Use of sentinel snails for the detection of Schistosoma haematobium transmission on Zanzibar and observations on transmission patterns. Acta Trop. 2013; 128(2):234-40. DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2013.01.003. View

19.

Katz N, Rocha R, Souza C, Coura Filho P, Bruce J, Coles G . Efficacy of alternating therapy with oxamniquine and praziquantel to treat Schistosoma mansoni in children following failure of first treatment. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1991; 44(5):509-12. DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.1991.44.509. View

20.

Sokhna C, Le Hesran J, Mbaye P, Akiana J, Camara P, Diop M . Increase of malaria attacks among children presenting concomitant infection by Schistosoma mansoni in Senegal. Malar J. 2004; 3:43. PMC: 538284. DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-3-43. View