Schistosomiasis is an acute and chronic disease caused by a parasitic worm that affects over 210 million people worldwide, mostly in Africa. It is transmitted through contact with fresh water infected by certain snail species that serve as intermediate hosts for the parasitic worms. The worms can infect the intestinal or urinary systems, causing symptoms like bloody urine/feces and organ damage. Proper sanitation, hygiene, snail control, and treatment are important for controlling the disease.

1. It is an acute and chronic disease that is caused by a parasitic
worm. Other names include: Bilharzia, snail fever and katayama
fever. This may affect the intestinal or urinary system.

2.  It is next to malaria among parasitic diseases in
tropical areas.
 More than 210 million people are infected worldwide
and 85% of these people are in Africa.
 Children are mostly at risk because they are fond of
playing in water.
 Over 200,000 people die of the disease every year.
 It is endemic in Africa and also found in Asia, South
America and the Caribbean.
 Nigeria has the highest burden of the disease
worldwide.

4.  It is caused by a type of blood
fluke worm.
 It belongs to genus
Schistosoma.
 The species that affects man
includes
1. S. haematobium
2. S. japonicum
3. S. mekondi
4. S. mansoni
 The males and female are
often seen attached together.

5.  Swimming or using water infected with cercaria.
 Poor Sanitation
 Presence of implicated host such as the fresh water
snail and a right condition.
 Presence of infected reservoir host like pigs.

6.  Some fresh water snails
have been implicated.
 Bulinus spp, oncomelania
spp, biomphalaria spp and
lymnaea spp can act as
intermediate host for the
worm.
 In the snail, the miracidia
becomes sporocysts
which undergo several
asexual multiplication to
become cercaria.

8.  Two type of Schistosomiasis occurs, though both
may occur simultaneously.
1. Intestinal Schistosomiasis(IS)
2. Urinary Schistosomiasis(US)
 During IS the schistomulae find their way into the
mesenteric venuoles around the intestine and inside
the intestinal wall.
 The matured Schistosoma lay eggs with sharp
spines in the inner walls of the intestine.

9.  As the young and adult worms move within the
lumen and venuoles the cause damage to the lining
of these body tissues
 The eggs has spikes that can compromise the
tissues where they are embedded.
 During US the young adult find its way to the veins
around the bladder and the within the bladder tissue
where it develops to adult worm.

10.  The adult worms lay spiky eggs within the inner walls
of the bladder.
 Their movement also compromise the bladder
tissues.
 All these have an adverse effect on the infected
individual’s system and so he comes down with the
disease.

11.  Severe loss of blood
 Fever
 Bloody urine and feces
 Bladder cancer
 Memory loss and
stunted growth in
children.
 Infertility, abortion and
failure of the bladder etc

12.  Major cause of bladder
cancer in Nigeria.
 Memory loss in kids and
low IQ.
 Stunted growth in
children
 Death
 Absence of children in
school.

13.  There is treatment for the disease.
 Control of snail population is paramount
 Proper sanitation is important
 Practice of good hygiene is important
 There is need to raise awareness about the disease
especially in the rural areas.
 Staying away from dirty water or rivers where the
snails could be present.