Symptoms and Treatment of Schistosomiasis
(591 Words)
With an infection rate of more than 200 million people throughout the globe, schistosomiasis is a serious health concern. Parasitic worms cause this disease, which is also termed bilharzia.
Individuals can contract it by touching contaminated water when it is in an immature form called a cercaria. They live in freshwater and are released by snails. It burrows under the skin, travels to the lungs and liver and then matures. Once it has reached this stage, it will then travel to another body part. This is determined by the particular species that it is. Possible locations include the spleen, lungs, portal venous system, liver, intestines, rectum and bladder.
The two most common forms are intestinal schistosomiasis and urogenital schistosomiasis. Intestinal schistosomiasis include the Schistosoma mansoni of Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Brazil, Venezuela and Suriname, the Schistosoma japonicum of China, Indonesia and the Philippines, the Schistosoma mekongi of Cambodia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and the Schistosoma intercalatum and related S. guineansis in central Africa. Urogenital schistosomiasis include the Schistosoma haematobium of Africa and the Middle East
There are a variety of symptoms associated with schistosomiasis. When one initially contracts it, they may get a rash on their skin. They may feel itchy. Some people will not have any symptoms at first. Others will develop fever, chills, cough and muscle aches.
Inflammation and scarring can occur as the eggs travel in the body. Symptoms that may occur in children include malnutrition, anemia and learning disabilities. As time passes, further damage can occur in the different organs such as the liver, lungs, intestines and bladder. Sometimes eggs can even travel to the brain or spinal cord. Patients with this may have seizures, paralysis, or spinal cord inflammation.
The symptoms of schistosomiasis depend on the type that you have. If you have intestinal schistosomiasis, then you may experience pain in the abdominal area, diarrhea and bloody stool. If the condition is untreated and advances, then enlargement of the liver may occur. Bladder cancer can also be a consequence.
When the patient is female and the type is urogenital schistosomiasis, the woman may get genital lesions, vaginal bleeding, nodules in the vulva and painful intercourse. Men may experience seminal vesicles, prostate and additional organs. Infertility may also occur.
Stool and urine samples can help to decide whether you have been exposed to the parasite. Blood work may also help shed light on whether you are afflicted as long as 6 to 8 weeks have passed since exposure.
The drug of choice for schistosomiasis is Praziquantel. Fortunately, it is effective, of reasonable price and low cost. Re-infection can still occur, but it can lower the severity of the disease.
The World Health Organization (WHO) targets treatment with Praziquantel to try to reduce the occurrence of this serious condition. They focus on those in high risk groups including school-aged kids in high disease areas and people at greater risk such a pregnant women or those who come into contact with infected water. Unfortunately, only 10% of people who need the drug actually receive it.
Preventative measures can also be taken to help slow the transmission of this serious condition.Improved sanitation can help provide protection. Educating people about the symptoms and treatment options can also be useful. Controlling the snail population that passes the disease can also be fruitful.
Schistosomiasis is not commonly seen in the United States, but worldwide it is a major health concern. Steps should be taken to properly prevent, diagnose and treat this disease and save lives.
Resources:
http://www.who.int/topics/schistosomiasis/en/
http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/schistosomiasis/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002298