Schistosomiasis
Introduction
Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia,is an infection caused by a parasitic worm that lives in fresh water in subtropical and tropical regions.
The parasite ismost commonly foundthroughout Africa, butalso lives in parts of South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Asia. The Travel Health Pro website has a map of where schistosomiasis is found .
You often don't have any symptoms when you first become infected with schistosomiasis, but the parasite can remain in the body for many years and cause damage to organs such as the bladder, kidneys and liver.
The infection can be easily treated with a short course of medicine, so see your GP if you think you might have it.
This page covers:
Symptoms of schistosomiasis
Long-term problems caused by schistosomiasis
When to seek medical advice
Treatments for schistosomiasis
Preventing schistosomiasis
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 28 Nov 2016
Introduction
Read about schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia, is a type of infection caused by a parasitic worm that live in fresh water in subtropical and tropical regions.
How you get schistosomiasis
The worms that cause schistosomiasis live in fresh water, such as: ponds lakes rivers reservoirs canals Showers that take unfiltered water directly from lakes or rivers may also spread the inf
Symptoms of schistosomiasis
Many people with schistosomiasis don't have any symptoms, or don't experience any for several months or even years. You probably won't notice that you've been infected, although occasionally people g
Long-term problems caused by schistosomiasis
Some people with schistosomiasis, regardless of whether they had any initial symptoms or not, eventually develop more serious problems in parts of the body the eggs have travelled to. This is known a
When to seek medical advice
Visityour GP if you develop the symptoms above and you've travelled in parts of the world where schistosomiasis is found, or if you're concerned that you may have been exposedto the parasites while tr
Treatments for schistosomiasis
Schistosomiasis can usually be treatedsuccessfullywith a short course of a medication called praziquantel, that kills the worms. Praziquantel is most effective once the worms have grown a bit, so tre
Preventing schistosomiasis
There's no vaccine for schistosomiasis, so it's important to be aware of the risks andtake precautions to avoid exposure to contaminated water. You can check whether thearea you're visiting is known
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