Sensitive diagnostic tools and targeted drug administration strategies are needed to eliminate schistosomiasis

Amoah, Abena S., Hoekstr, Pytsje T., Casacuberta-Partal, Miriam, Coffeng, Luc E., Corstjens, Paul L.A.M, Greco, Beatrice, van Lieshout, Lisette, Lim, Mark D, Markwalter, Christine F., Odiere, Maurice R., Reinhard-Rupp, Jutta, Roestenberg, Meta, Stothard, Russell ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9370-3420, Tchuenté, Louis-Albert Tchuem, de Vlas, Sake J. and van Dam, Govert J. (2020) 'Sensitive diagnostic tools and targeted drug administration strategies are needed to eliminate schistosomiasis'. Lancet Infectious Diseases, Vol 20, Issue 7, e165-e172.

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Abstract

Although preventive chemotherapy has been instrumental in reducing schistosomiasis worldwide, serious 44
challenges remain. These include the omission of certain groups from mass drug administration campaigns, the 45
existence of persistent disease hotspots as well as the risk of recrudescent infections. Central to these challenges 46
is the fact that the currently prescribed diagnostic tools to establish the burden of infection lack sensitivity, 47
especially in low endemic settings, resulting in an underestimation of the true prevalence of active Schistosoma 48
infections. This necessitates a re-evaluation and possible adaptation of current WHO-recommended control 49
strategies. Recently, more targeted interventions and novel approaches have been employed, such as 50
establishing infection burden by precision mapping to provide high resolution spatial information that delineates 51
significant variations in schistosomiasis prevalence within a defined geographical area. Such information is 52
instrumental in guiding targeted intervention campaigns. However, the need for highly accurate diagnostic tools 53
in such strategies remains a crucial factor that is often neglected. The availability of highly sensitive diagnostic 54
tests also opens up the possibility of applying sample pooling strategies, to reduce control programme costs. To 55
achieve interruption of transmission and eventually elimination of schistosomiasis, better local targeting of 56
preventive chemotherapy in combination with utilising more sensitive diagnostic tools is vital.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	WA Public Health > Preventive Medicine > WA 110 Prevention and control of communicable diseases. Transmission of infectious diseases WA Public Health > Preventive Medicine > WA 243 Diagnositic services WA Public Health > Health Problems of Special Population Groups > WA 395 Health in developing countries WC Communicable Diseases > Tropical and Parasitic Diseases > WC 695 Parasitic diseases (General) WC Communicable Diseases > Tropical and Parasitic Diseases > WC 810 Schistosomiasis
Faculty: Department:	Biological Sciences > Department of Tropical Disease Biology
Digital Object Identifer (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30254-1
Depositing User:	Claire McIntyre
Date Deposited:	14 May 2020 10:19
Last Modified:	05 Nov 2020 02:02
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/14436

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