Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCauseSymptomsDiagnosisTreatmentPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Cause
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention
Without early treatment, schistosomiasis can also cause a range of concerns including miscarriage,anemia, liver disease, and brain inflammation.
In this article, you’ll read about how different types of schistosomiasis affect the body and how the disease can be prevented and treated.
NIBSC / Getty Images
Worldwide, schistosomiasis infects about 200 million people.It affects more people than any other parasitic disease with the exception ofmalaria.
How Do You Get Schistosomiasis?
In 2013, there was an outbreak of schistosomiasis in Corsica, an island in the Mediterranean Sea.
Schistosomiasis, which is also known asbilharziasis, isn’t found naturally in the United States. However, it is possible to come into contact with the parasite while traveling.
Parasites need hosts to survive. The worms that cause schistosomiasis have several hosts, including humans, other mammals, birds, and a specific type of water snail. These hosts are critical to the life cycle of the worm. They also play a part in helping schistosomiasis spread.
The eggs hatch in freshwater and the larvae infect water snails. The snails provide an environment for the larvae to mature. After maturation, the larvae leave the snail and go on to infect another host such as a person. They enter the body through the skin, often when a person is swimming or bathing.
Inside the next host, the worms reproduce and lay eggs. Some of these eggs are passed out of the body through urine and feces. Others travel to different parts of the body where they cause schistosomiasis. The disease can be eithershort-term (acute) or long-term (chronic). Where the eggs end up in the body depends on the type of schistosomiasis.
The worm’s life cycle continues when the host urinates or defecates in a source of freshwater. This is why schistosomiasis is prevalent in regions that don’t have advanced sanitation systems. In these areas, as many as 60% to 80% of school-age children are actively infected.
Types of Schistosomiasis
There are six different species of flatworms, known as blood flukes, that cause schistosomiasis in humans.
You may not have symptoms when you’re infected with the larvae that cause schistosomiasis. Many people, though, show signs of infection within weeks.
These symptoms can last for a short time, but in some instances, people have health problems for years.
Acute
Acute schistosomiasis can last two to eight weeks.
Symptoms may include:
This type of acute condition is known as Katayama syndrome. Symptoms may start when you’re first infected or sometime later.
Chronic
Without treatment, schistosomiasis can become chronic. The symptoms can last for years and often become more serious.
Long-term problems start if parasitic eggs get permanently trapped in organs like the liver.Your immune system recognizes they are harmful and fights the intruders. That leads to inflammation.
Symptoms of chronic schistosomiasis include:
People at high risk of repeated infections, like fishermen or people who regularly wash in infested lakes, are more likely to develop chronic schistosomiasis.
The parasitic flatworms live an average of three to 10 years. In some cases they can continue to lay eggs and infect a person for as long as 40 years.
Complications
Chronic schistosomiasis can cause serious and even permanent damage to your body. This can cause many health problems, including:
Schistosomiasis is usually diagnosed with laboratory analysis of a urine or stool sample. Before taking a sample, your healthcare provider will ask about your travel history. This will help determine which type of infection you may have.
The laboratory will look for the parasite’s eggs in the stool or urine sample. It may be necessary to examine multiple samples taken on different days. A blood test that looks for antibodies can also help identify the parasite.
Medication can cure schistosomiasis. Biltricide (praziquantel) is ananthelminticdrug, which means it kills worm-like parasites. It’s usually taken three times in one day to treat the infection and rid the body of the eggs.
If the infection doesn’t completely clear up, another round of medication is given three to six weeks later.If you develop complications, you may need additional treatment.
Unfortunately, treatment to cure schistosomiasis may not work. Some cases of schistosomiasis are resistant to medication, which means the drug does not affect the worms. And if the disease is found late, damage that’s already been done can’t be reversed.
Schistosomiasis can cause severe medical problems before you even know you’re infected. That’s why avoiding infection is the best way to stay healthy.
If you’re visiting an area where schistosomiasis is known to be present, take these cautionary steps:
In some regions, the World Health Organization uses large-scale, periodic praziquantel treatment in affected populations.
Summary
Schistosomiasis is a dangerous disease. Not everyone who gets infected ends up with serious health problems, but the risks are high.
If you travel to areas where the species are known to thrive, avoid freshwater. See a doctor if you think you’ve been exposed to parasite-infested water, even if you don’t have symptoms.
If you are diagnosed with an infection, medication usually works to get the eggs out of your system. It’s important to start treatment early before any organ damage develops.
14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Colley DG, Bustinduy AL, Secor WE, King CH.Human schistosomiasis.Lancet. 2014;383(9936):2253-2264. doi:10.1016%2FS0140-6736(13)61949-2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About schistosomiasis.Boissier J, Grech-Angelini S, Webster BL, et al.Outbreak of urogenital schistosomiasis in Corsica (France): an epidemiological case study.The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 2016;16(8):971-979. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(16)00175-4Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Schistosomiasis.Sombetzki M, Koslowski N, Rabes A, et al.Host defense versus immunosuppression: unisexual infection with male or female Schistosoma mansoni differentially impacts the immune response against invading cercariae.Front Immunol. 2018;9:861. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2018.00861Khieu V, Sayasone S, Muth S, et al.Elimination of schistosomiasis mekongi from endemic areas in Cambodia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic: current status and plans.Trop Med Infect Dis. 2019;4(1):30. doi:10.3390/tropicalmed4010030Carbonell C, Rodriguez-Alonso B, Lopez-Bernus A, et al.Clinical spectrum of schistosomiasis: an update.J Clin Med.2021;10(23):5521. doi:10.3390/jcm10235521Le A, Zhang L, Liu W, Li X, Ren J, Ning A.A case control study on the structural equation model of the mechanism of coagulation and fibrinolysis imbalance in chronic schistosomiasis.Medicine. 2017 Feb;96(7). doi:10.1097%2FMD.0000000000006116Hegertun IEA, Gundersen KMS, Kleppa E, et al. S.Haematobium as a common cause of genital morbidity in girls: a cross-sectional study of children in south africa.PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2013;7(3):e2104. doi:10.1371%2Fjournal.pntd.0002104Shaker Y, Samy N, Ashour E.Hepatobiliary schistosomiasis.J Clin Transl Hepatol. 2014;2(3):212-216. doi:10.14218/JCTH.2014.00018Almoghrabi A, Mzaik O, Attar B.Schistosoma japonicum associated with colorectal cancer.ACG Case Rep J. 2021;8(5):e00572. doi:10.14309/crj.0000000000000572Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical care of Schistosomiasis.Munisi DZ, Buza J, Mpolya EA, Angelo T, Kinung’hi SM.The efficacy of single-dose versus double-dose praziquantel treatments on schistosoma mansoni infections: its implication on undernutrition and anaemia among primary schoolchildren in two on-shore communities, northwestern tanzania.Biomed Res Int. 2017;2017:1-13. doi:10.1155/2017/7035025World Health Organization.Schistosomiasis.Additional ReadingBustinduy AL, Friedman JF, Kjetland EF, et al.Expanding praziquantel (PZQ) access beyond mass drug administration programs: paving a way forward for a pediatric PZQ formulation for schistosomiasis.PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2016;10(9):e0004946. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0004946Kapoor S.Katayama syndrome in patients with schistosomiasis.Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2014;4(3):244. doi:10.1016/s2221-1691(14)60239-2Kjetland EF, Kurewa EN, Mduluza T, et al.The first community-based report on the effect of genital Schistosoma haematobium infection on female fertility.Fertil Steril.2010;94(4):1551-3. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.12.050Mekonnen Z, Meka S, Zeynudin A, Suleman S.Schistosoma mansoni infection and undernutrition among school age children in Fincha’a sugar estate, rural part of West Ethiopia.BMC Res Notes. 2014;7(1):1-8. doi:10.1186/1756-0500-7-763
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Colley DG, Bustinduy AL, Secor WE, King CH.Human schistosomiasis.Lancet. 2014;383(9936):2253-2264. doi:10.1016%2FS0140-6736(13)61949-2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About schistosomiasis.Boissier J, Grech-Angelini S, Webster BL, et al.Outbreak of urogenital schistosomiasis in Corsica (France): an epidemiological case study.The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 2016;16(8):971-979. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(16)00175-4Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Schistosomiasis.Sombetzki M, Koslowski N, Rabes A, et al.Host defense versus immunosuppression: unisexual infection with male or female Schistosoma mansoni differentially impacts the immune response against invading cercariae.Front Immunol. 2018;9:861. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2018.00861Khieu V, Sayasone S, Muth S, et al.Elimination of schistosomiasis mekongi from endemic areas in Cambodia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic: current status and plans.Trop Med Infect Dis. 2019;4(1):30. doi:10.3390/tropicalmed4010030Carbonell C, Rodriguez-Alonso B, Lopez-Bernus A, et al.Clinical spectrum of schistosomiasis: an update.J Clin Med.2021;10(23):5521. doi:10.3390/jcm10235521Le A, Zhang L, Liu W, Li X, Ren J, Ning A.A case control study on the structural equation model of the mechanism of coagulation and fibrinolysis imbalance in chronic schistosomiasis.Medicine. 2017 Feb;96(7). doi:10.1097%2FMD.0000000000006116Hegertun IEA, Gundersen KMS, Kleppa E, et al. S.Haematobium as a common cause of genital morbidity in girls: a cross-sectional study of children in south africa.PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2013;7(3):e2104. doi:10.1371%2Fjournal.pntd.0002104Shaker Y, Samy N, Ashour E.Hepatobiliary schistosomiasis.J Clin Transl Hepatol. 2014;2(3):212-216. doi:10.14218/JCTH.2014.00018Almoghrabi A, Mzaik O, Attar B.Schistosoma japonicum associated with colorectal cancer.ACG Case Rep J. 2021;8(5):e00572. doi:10.14309/crj.0000000000000572Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical care of Schistosomiasis.Munisi DZ, Buza J, Mpolya EA, Angelo T, Kinung’hi SM.The efficacy of single-dose versus double-dose praziquantel treatments on schistosoma mansoni infections: its implication on undernutrition and anaemia among primary schoolchildren in two on-shore communities, northwestern tanzania.Biomed Res Int. 2017;2017:1-13. doi:10.1155/2017/7035025World Health Organization.Schistosomiasis.Additional ReadingBustinduy AL, Friedman JF, Kjetland EF, et al.Expanding praziquantel (PZQ) access beyond mass drug administration programs: paving a way forward for a pediatric PZQ formulation for schistosomiasis.PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2016;10(9):e0004946. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0004946Kapoor S.Katayama syndrome in patients with schistosomiasis.Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2014;4(3):244. doi:10.1016/s2221-1691(14)60239-2Kjetland EF, Kurewa EN, Mduluza T, et al.The first community-based report on the effect of genital Schistosoma haematobium infection on female fertility.Fertil Steril.2010;94(4):1551-3. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.12.050Mekonnen Z, Meka S, Zeynudin A, Suleman S.Schistosoma mansoni infection and undernutrition among school age children in Fincha’a sugar estate, rural part of West Ethiopia.BMC Res Notes. 2014;7(1):1-8. doi:10.1186/1756-0500-7-763
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Colley DG, Bustinduy AL, Secor WE, King CH.Human schistosomiasis.Lancet. 2014;383(9936):2253-2264. doi:10.1016%2FS0140-6736(13)61949-2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About schistosomiasis.Boissier J, Grech-Angelini S, Webster BL, et al.Outbreak of urogenital schistosomiasis in Corsica (France): an epidemiological case study.The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 2016;16(8):971-979. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(16)00175-4Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Schistosomiasis.Sombetzki M, Koslowski N, Rabes A, et al.Host defense versus immunosuppression: unisexual infection with male or female Schistosoma mansoni differentially impacts the immune response against invading cercariae.Front Immunol. 2018;9:861. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2018.00861Khieu V, Sayasone S, Muth S, et al.Elimination of schistosomiasis mekongi from endemic areas in Cambodia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic: current status and plans.Trop Med Infect Dis. 2019;4(1):30. doi:10.3390/tropicalmed4010030Carbonell C, Rodriguez-Alonso B, Lopez-Bernus A, et al.Clinical spectrum of schistosomiasis: an update.J Clin Med.2021;10(23):5521. doi:10.3390/jcm10235521Le A, Zhang L, Liu W, Li X, Ren J, Ning A.A case control study on the structural equation model of the mechanism of coagulation and fibrinolysis imbalance in chronic schistosomiasis.Medicine. 2017 Feb;96(7). doi:10.1097%2FMD.0000000000006116Hegertun IEA, Gundersen KMS, Kleppa E, et al. S.Haematobium as a common cause of genital morbidity in girls: a cross-sectional study of children in south africa.PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2013;7(3):e2104. doi:10.1371%2Fjournal.pntd.0002104Shaker Y, Samy N, Ashour E.Hepatobiliary schistosomiasis.J Clin Transl Hepatol. 2014;2(3):212-216. doi:10.14218/JCTH.2014.00018Almoghrabi A, Mzaik O, Attar B.Schistosoma japonicum associated with colorectal cancer.ACG Case Rep J. 2021;8(5):e00572. doi:10.14309/crj.0000000000000572Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical care of Schistosomiasis.Munisi DZ, Buza J, Mpolya EA, Angelo T, Kinung’hi SM.The efficacy of single-dose versus double-dose praziquantel treatments on schistosoma mansoni infections: its implication on undernutrition and anaemia among primary schoolchildren in two on-shore communities, northwestern tanzania.Biomed Res Int. 2017;2017:1-13. doi:10.1155/2017/7035025World Health Organization.Schistosomiasis.
Colley DG, Bustinduy AL, Secor WE, King CH.Human schistosomiasis.Lancet. 2014;383(9936):2253-2264. doi:10.1016%2FS0140-6736(13)61949-2
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About schistosomiasis.
Boissier J, Grech-Angelini S, Webster BL, et al.Outbreak of urogenital schistosomiasis in Corsica (France): an epidemiological case study.The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 2016;16(8):971-979. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(16)00175-4
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Schistosomiasis.
Sombetzki M, Koslowski N, Rabes A, et al.Host defense versus immunosuppression: unisexual infection with male or female Schistosoma mansoni differentially impacts the immune response against invading cercariae.Front Immunol. 2018;9:861. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2018.00861
Khieu V, Sayasone S, Muth S, et al.Elimination of schistosomiasis mekongi from endemic areas in Cambodia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic: current status and plans.Trop Med Infect Dis. 2019;4(1):30. doi:10.3390/tropicalmed4010030
Carbonell C, Rodriguez-Alonso B, Lopez-Bernus A, et al.Clinical spectrum of schistosomiasis: an update.J Clin Med.2021;10(23):5521. doi:10.3390/jcm10235521
Le A, Zhang L, Liu W, Li X, Ren J, Ning A.A case control study on the structural equation model of the mechanism of coagulation and fibrinolysis imbalance in chronic schistosomiasis.Medicine. 2017 Feb;96(7). doi:10.1097%2FMD.0000000000006116
Hegertun IEA, Gundersen KMS, Kleppa E, et al. S.Haematobium as a common cause of genital morbidity in girls: a cross-sectional study of children in south africa.PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2013;7(3):e2104. doi:10.1371%2Fjournal.pntd.0002104
Shaker Y, Samy N, Ashour E.Hepatobiliary schistosomiasis.J Clin Transl Hepatol. 2014;2(3):212-216. doi:10.14218/JCTH.2014.00018
Almoghrabi A, Mzaik O, Attar B.Schistosoma japonicum associated with colorectal cancer.ACG Case Rep J. 2021;8(5):e00572. doi:10.14309/crj.0000000000000572
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical care of Schistosomiasis.
Munisi DZ, Buza J, Mpolya EA, Angelo T, Kinung’hi SM.The efficacy of single-dose versus double-dose praziquantel treatments on schistosoma mansoni infections: its implication on undernutrition and anaemia among primary schoolchildren in two on-shore communities, northwestern tanzania.Biomed Res Int. 2017;2017:1-13. doi:10.1155/2017/7035025
World Health Organization.Schistosomiasis.
Bustinduy AL, Friedman JF, Kjetland EF, et al.Expanding praziquantel (PZQ) access beyond mass drug administration programs: paving a way forward for a pediatric PZQ formulation for schistosomiasis.PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2016;10(9):e0004946. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0004946Kapoor S.Katayama syndrome in patients with schistosomiasis.Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2014;4(3):244. doi:10.1016/s2221-1691(14)60239-2Kjetland EF, Kurewa EN, Mduluza T, et al.The first community-based report on the effect of genital Schistosoma haematobium infection on female fertility.Fertil Steril.2010;94(4):1551-3. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.12.050Mekonnen Z, Meka S, Zeynudin A, Suleman S.Schistosoma mansoni infection and undernutrition among school age children in Fincha’a sugar estate, rural part of West Ethiopia.BMC Res Notes. 2014;7(1):1-8. doi:10.1186/1756-0500-7-763
Bustinduy AL, Friedman JF, Kjetland EF, et al.Expanding praziquantel (PZQ) access beyond mass drug administration programs: paving a way forward for a pediatric PZQ formulation for schistosomiasis.PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2016;10(9):e0004946. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0004946
Kapoor S.Katayama syndrome in patients with schistosomiasis.Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2014;4(3):244. doi:10.1016/s2221-1691(14)60239-2
Kjetland EF, Kurewa EN, Mduluza T, et al.The first community-based report on the effect of genital Schistosoma haematobium infection on female fertility.Fertil Steril.2010;94(4):1551-3. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.12.050
Mekonnen Z, Meka S, Zeynudin A, Suleman S.Schistosoma mansoni infection and undernutrition among school age children in Fincha’a sugar estate, rural part of West Ethiopia.BMC Res Notes. 2014;7(1):1-8. doi:10.1186/1756-0500-7-763
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