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Schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever, bilharzia, and Katayama fever, [1] [2] [9] is a disease caused by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes. [5] The urinary tract or the intestines may be infected. [5] Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloody stool, or blood in the urine. [5]
Symptoms of all forms of schistosomiasis are caused by the immune system's reaction to the eggs, rather than the adult worms themselves. [5] A few hours to days after cercariae invade the skin, some people experience pruritus and raised papules at the site of penetration. This is called cercarial dermatitis, also known as swimmer's itch.
Swimmer's itch was known to exist as early as the 19th century, but it was not until 1928 that a biologist found that the dermatitis was caused by the larval stage of a group of flatworm parasites in the family Schistosomatidae. [7] The genera most commonly associated with swimmer's itch in humans are Trichobilharzia [4] and Gigantobilharzia.
It is found in Africa and the Middle East. It is the major agent of schistosomiasis, the most prevalent parasitic infection in humans. [1] It is the only blood fluke that infects the urinary tract, causing urinary schistosomiasis, and is the leading cause of bladder cancer (only next to tobacco smoking). [2] [3] The diseases are caused by the eggs.
Clinical symptoms are caused by the eggs. As the leading cause of schistosomiasis in the world, it is the most prevalent parasite in humans. It is classified as a neglected tropical disease. As of 2021, the World Health Organization reports that 251.4 million people have schistosomiasis and most of it is due to S. mansoni. [1]
There are a number of different families of blood fluke including the Schistosomatidae. The others include the spirorchiids (turtle parasites) and the sanguinicolids (fish parasites). The Schistosomatidae are considered venous system specialists and their sister group are vascular system generalists - the Spirorchiidae.
Schistosoma japonicum is an important parasite and one of the major infectious agents of schistosomiasis.This parasite has a very wide host range, infecting at least 31 species of wild mammals, including nine carnivores, 16 rodents, one primate (human), two insectivores and three artiodactyls and therefore it can be considered a true zoonosis.
The parasite, as the cause of bladder cancer, is declared by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as Group 1 carcinogen. The infection is known by an eponymous term bilharzia or bilharziasis, as well as by schistosomiasis. Bilharz was born and educated in Sigmaringen, Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Germany.