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schistosomiasis

File:Schistosomiasis_in_a_child_2.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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schistosomiasis

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Also known as bilharzia, snail fever, schistosome infection, schistosoma infection, bilharziasis, Katayama fever

Schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever, bilharzia, and Katayama fever is a neglected tropical disease, specifically a helminthiasis caused by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes. It affects humans and many other animals. It affects the urinary tract or the intestines. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloody stool, or blood in the urine. Those who have been infected for a long time may experience liver damage, kidney failure, infertility, or bladder cancer. In children, schistosomiasis may cause poor growth and learning difficulties. Schistosomiasis belongs to the group of hel

AI overview

Schistosomiasis is a tropical disease caused by parasitic flatworms that infect the urinary tract or intestines, causing symptoms like abdominal pain, diarrhea, and bloody urine or stool. Long-term infection can lead to serious complications including liver damage, kidney failure, and cancer, while children may experience stunted growth and learning problems.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Medical condition.name
Schistosomiasis
Medical condition.synonyms
Bilharzia, snail fever, Katayama fever
Medical condition.image
Schistosomiasis in a child 2.jpg
Medical condition.image_size
250px
Medical condition.caption
11-year-old boy with abdominal fluid and portal hypertension due to schistosomiasis (Agusan del Sur, Philippines)
Medical condition.field
Infectious disease
Medical condition.symptoms
Abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloody stool, blood in the urine
Medical condition.complications
Liver damage, cirrhosis, kidney failure, infertility (both male and female), bladder calcification, urethral obstruction, nephrotic syndrome, bladder cancer
Medical condition.causes
Schistosomes from freshwater snails
Medical condition.diagnosis
Finding eggs of the parasite in urine or stool, antibodies in blood
Medical condition.prevention
Access to clean water
Medical condition.medication
Praziquantel
Medical condition.frequency
252 million (2015)
Medical condition.deaths
4,400–200,000

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

31,609 papers

via PubMed

~48 min read

Encyclopedic overview

38 sections
Contents
  • Signs and symptoms
  • Acute infection
  • Cercarial dermatitis
  • Acute schistosomiasis (Katayama fever)
  • Chronic infection
  • Intestinal schistosomiasis
  • Hepatosplenic schistosomiasis
  • Pulmonary schistosomiasis
  • Urogenital schistosomiasis
  • Neuroschistosomiasis
  • Transmission and life cycle
  • Life cycle
  • Other hosts
  • Pathogenesis
  • Acute infection
  • Chronic infection
  • Diagnosis
  • Identification of eggs in stools
  • Antibody detection
  • Molecular diagnostics
  • Laboratory testing
  • Tissue biopsy
  • Imaging
  • Prevention
  • Preventive anthelminthic administration
  • Snails, dams, and prawns
  • Integrated strategy in China
  • Treatment
  • Epidemiology
  • Infection estimates
  • Deaths
  • History
  • Etymology
  • Society and culture
  • Research
  • See also
  • References
  • External links

Schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever, bilharzia, and Katayama fever is a neglected tropical disease, specifically a helminthiasis caused by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes. It affects humans and many other animals. It affects the urinary tract or the intestines. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloody stool, or blood in the urine. Those who have been infected for a long time may experience liver damage, kidney failure, infertility, or bladder cancer. In children, schistosomiasis may cause poor growth and learning difficulties. Schistosomiasis belongs to the group of helminth infections.

Schistosomiasis is spread by contact with fresh water contaminated with parasites released from infected freshwater snails. Diagnosis is made by finding the parasite's eggs in a person's urine or stool. It can also be confirmed by finding antibodies against the disease in the blood.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “schistosomiasis” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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