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Bilharzia: Pathology, Diagnosis, Management and Control

2013; OMICS Publishing Group; Volume: 01; Issue: 04 Linguagem: Inglês

10.4172/2329-9088.1000135

2329-9088

David U. Olveda,

Helminth infection and control

The World Health Organization estimates that schistosomiasis and geohelmiths represent more than 40% of the global disease burden caused by all tropical diseases, excluding malaria [1].Schistosomiasis is the third most devastating tropical disease globally (after malaria and intestinal helminthiases) and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality for developing countries in Africa, South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Asia [2].Schistosomiasis or Bilharzia is caused by schistosomes, which are parasitic trematode worms of the genus Schistosoma.Five species infect humans, namely: Schistosoma mansoni, Schistosoma japonicum, Schistosoma mekongi, Schistosoma intercalatum, and Schistosoma haematobium.In 74 countries where the disease is endemic, an estimated 250 million people are infected and approximately 700 million people are at risk of infection [3,4].The burden of disease attributable to the three major human schistosome species (Schistosoma mansoni, S. haematobium, and S. japonicum) is estimated to be between 24-29 million disability adjusted life years [5,6] (Table 1).Schistosoma mansoni is widespread in Africa, the Eastern-Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and South America (Figure 1).Almost 300,000 people die annually from schistosomiasis in Africa alone [7].Approximately 90% of the 250 million people infected worldwide live in Sub-Saharan Africa where S. mansoni is the prevalent species [7].About 10 million women in Africa are infected during pregnancy [8].Zoonotic transmission is possible with these species, because the parasite infects not only humans but also wild rodents [9][10][11].Schistosoma haematobium infection is a significant cause of clinical morbidity and disability in the endemic countries of Africa and the Middle East, where more than 110 million people are infected [12].In sub-Saharan Africa, two-thirds of schistosomiasis cases are due to S. haematobium, which represents an important cause of severe urinary tract disease.In a survey in 2000, it was estimated that 70