What is it?
A tropical disease that is caught from if one swims, washes or paddles in contaminated fresh water via canals, rivers, lakes or streams, both humans and water snails contribute to the disease.
- Once in your body, the worms move through your blood to areas such as the liver and bowel.
- After a a few weeks, the worms start to lay eggs.
- Some eggs remain inside the body and are attacked by the immune system, while some are passed out in the person’s urine or poo. Without treatment, the worms can keep laying eggs for several years.
- If the eggs pass out of the body into water (poor sanitation areas) , they release tiny larvae, freshwater snails ingest the larvae where it grows for a few weeks before they’re able to infect another person.
- The larvae directly penetrates in one skin.
- It’s not possible to catch the infection from someone else who has it.
NHS Choices
Countries affected are:
Caribbean
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Dominican Republic
- Guadeloupe
- Martinique
- Montserrat
- Puerto Rico
- Saint Lucia
Central America
South America
- Brazil
- Chile (Easter Island)
- Venezuela (Margarita Island)
Europe & Russia
Africa
- Algeria
- Angola
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Congo
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini (Swaziland)
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Kenya
- Liberia
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Togo
- United Republic of Tanzania (Zanzibar)
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Middle East
- Iran
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Oman
- Saudi Arabia
- Syria
- Yemen
Asia
- Cambodia
- China
- Laos
- Philippines
Cause
- Parasite: Schistosoma blood flukes (tremodes)
- S. mansoni
- S. haematobium,
- S. japonicum
- S. intercalatum
- S. mekongi
Complications /Information to beware of/General tips:
Medical Emergency Condition
And/or do not wait, phone for an ambulance if have or develop:
This condition can lead to:
General tips
If you’re visiting one of these areas where the condition is common:
- Avoid paddling, swimming and washing in fresh water – only swim in the sea or chlorinated swimming pools
- Take waterproof trousers and boots with you if there’s a chance you’ll need to cross a stream or river
- Boil or filter water before drinking – as the parasites could burrow into your lips or mouth if you drink contaminated water
- Avoid medicines sold locally that are advertised to treat or prevent schistosomiasis – these are often either fake, substandard, ineffective or not given at the correct dosage
- Don’t rely on assurances from hotels, tourist boards or similar that a particular stretch of water is safe – there have been reports of some organisations downplaying the risks
- Applying insect repellent to your skin or quickly drying yourself with a towel after getting out of the water aren’t reliable ways of preventing infection, although it’s a good idea to dry yourself as soon as possible if you’re accidentally exposed to potentially contaminated water.
- There’s some evidence that applying insect repellent containing 50% DEET to exposed areas each night after showering kills the parasite in the skin before it moves deeper into the body.
NHS Choices
Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist) for further advice
Detailed Information
Please copy and paste any key words from the title: Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia) in the following respective 'Medtick References and/or Sources' to find out more about the disease (this also may include diagnosis tests and generic medical treatments).
- NHS
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- Medscape
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- Pharmaceutical Journal
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- Medical News Today
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- National Organisation of Rare Diseases
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- Verywell Health
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- Fit for Travel
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- DR Axe
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