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Schistosomiasis (also known as Bilharzia) is a disease caused by small parasitic flatworms, species of trematodes of the family Schistosomatidae, which are commonly called blood flukes. The major types that cause schistosomiasis in humans are Schistosoma mansoni leading to intestinal schistosomiasis, S haematobium leading to urinary schistosomiasis and S. japonicum leading to Oriental or Asiatic intestinal schistosomiasis. Persons can get schistosomiasis when their skin comes in contact with contaminated fresh water in which certain types of snails are living. Schistosoma eggs contaminate fresh water when infected people urinate or defecate in the water. The eggs hatch, and if certain types of snails are present in the water, the parasites grow and develop into snails.
When the parasites leave the snail, they can survive in water for about 48 hours. The parasites penetrate the skin of persons who have contact with this water, such as when they are wading, Swimming, Bathing or washing. The parasites penetrate the skin, and, within several weeks grow inside the blood vessels of the body and produce eggs. Some eggs get into the urinary bladder or intestines and are passed into the urine or feces. The bodys reaction to the eggs produces by these worms and not the worms themselves cause the symptoms of schistosomiasis. Within days after becoming infected, some people have rash or itchy skin, and within a month or two they may have fever, chills, cough and muscle aches.
Most people, however, have no symptoms at all in this early phase after infection. Usually the eggs of the parasite go to the liver or pass into the intestine or urinary bladder. Rarely, eggs are found in the brain or spinal cord and cause seizures, paralysis, or spinal cord inflammation. After many years of repeated infection, the parasite can damage the liver, intestines, lungs or urinary bladder. Even without treatment, damage to these organs occurs only rarely in people such as travelers who have relatively short periods of exposure and who avoid reinfection. At risk are not only the infected people but others can be also.
Persons who live in or travel to areas where schistosomiasis occurs and who have skin contact with fresh water (rivers, streams or lakes) are at risk of getting schistosomiasis. Areas around the world with Schistosomiasis include Africa, some countries in Latin America, parts of the Caribbean, some countries in the Middle East, southern China, The Philippines and Southeast Asia. Since it is very difficult to know if water is contaminated people should avoid swimming or wading in fresh water when they are in countries where schistosomiasis is known to occur. Swimming in the ocean and in chlorinated swimming polls is generally thoughts to be safe. If anyone suspects having schistosomiasis should immediately see his health provider and be sure to give a complete description of the time, place and length of his exposure to fresh water while in parts of the world schistosomiasis occurs. He might be asked to undergo urine tests to detect the eggs of the parasite and also blood tests will be made.
All this will be useful in making diagnosis and also finding out from where contaminated water is found and preventing other people form getting schistosomiasis. For schistosomiasis researches are being carried out to develop a vaccine for human but none is available now. Effective drugs like praziquantel, oxamniquine and metrifonate can treat the disease. These are very effective with very few side effects and their cost has decreased to under US 25 cents.
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