Schistosomiasis
(Bilharziasis)
What is schistosomiasis?
Schistosomiasis is an infection caused by a tiny parasite called a fluke.
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Flukes are common in rivers and lakes in tropical areas in South America, Africa, and Asia
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You can get schistosomiasis by swimming or bathing in water that has flukes in it
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The flukes burrow into your skin and travel through your blood
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They eventually end up in small blood vessels inside your intestines or your bladder
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Symptoms first include an itchy rash, followed by fever, chills, muscle aches, weakness, and belly pain
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Doctors test samples of your stool (poop) and urine for fluke eggs
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Doctors treat you with anti-parasite medicine to kill the flukes
What causes schistosomiasis?
Schistosomiasis is caused by a parasite called a fluke, which is a type of roundworm. Adult flukes are about ¼ to ¾ of an inch long (1 to 2 centimeters).
You get schistosomiasis from swimming, wading, or bathing in fresh water that has these flukes.
The flukes in your bladder or intestine lay many eggs:
What are the symptoms of schistosomiasis?
Most people have no symptoms. When the flukes first enter your skin, you may get:
After a few weeks, you may start to feel sick and have symptoms such as:
Depending on where the adult flukes are in your body you may have:
A bad infection can make you lose enough blood to develop:
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Anemia (low red blood cell count)
Schistosomiasis can also affect other organs, such as your lungs, spinal cord, kidneys, and brain.
How can doctors tell if I have schistosomiasis?
Doctors suspect schistosomiasis from your symptoms, especially if you've recently been swimming or bathing in possibly infected water. Doctors check for schistosomiasis by looking for fluke eggs in your:
Sometimes, doctors also do blood tests, ultrasound, or CT scan to see how severe your infection is.
How do doctors treat schistosomiasis?
How can I prevent schistosomiasis?
You can help prevent schistosomiasis by:
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Not swimming, bathing, or wading in areas known to contain flukes
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In areas where flukes are a problem, boiling water or storing it for a day or two before washing with it
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Drying off vigorously with a towel if you accidentally get into contaminated water—this helps remove parasites before they burrow through your skin
When the eggs hatch in water, the flukes infect snails. So sometimes people put chemicals that kill snails in bodies of fresh water known to contain flukes.
