Human schistosomiasis

Buonfrate, Dora, Ferrari, Teresa Cristina A, Adegnika, Ayola Akim, Stothard, Russell ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9370-3420 and Gobbi, Federico (2025) 'Human schistosomiasis'. Lancet, Vol 405, Issue 10479, pp. 658-670.

Text Lancet_schistosomiasis (002) Russ Stothard.docx - Accepted Version Restricted to Repository staff only until 12 August 2025. Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (1MB)

Abstract

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by infection with blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma. Widely distributed in Middle East, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and (mostly) sub-Saharan Africa, schistosomiasis is acquired upon skin penetration of infective larvae released by freshwater snails.
Acute infection might present with self-limiting hypersensitivity reactions (“Katayama fever”). Chronic infection typically leads to two main clinical patterns: intestinal or urogenital schistosomiasis, depending on the infecting species. Impairment of other body sites (e.g. central nervous system, respiratory tract) may occur. Complicated disease can manifest, amongst other signs, with hepatic fibrosis, portal hypertension, splenomegaly, upper gastrointestinal/variceal bleeding (intestinal form); renal failure, squamous-cell carcinoma of the bladder, vaginal dysbiosis, infertility (urogenital form). Conventional diagnosis is based on egg detection in faeces or urine, though sensitivity might be low. Praziquantel is the only effective first line treatment, also provided in preventive chemotherapy campaigns by mass drug administration to afflicted communities.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	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/S0140-6736(24)02814-9
Depositing User:	Clare O'Neill
Date Deposited:	27 Feb 2025 08:43
Last Modified:	27 Feb 2025 08:43
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/25956

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