Schistosomiasis
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 infection, but the worms aren't found in the sea, chlorinated swimming pools or properly treated water supplies.
You can become infected if you come into contact withcontaminated water for example,when paddling, swimming or washing and the tiny worms burrow into your skin. Once in your body, the wormsmove throughyour blood to areassuch as the liver and bowel.
After 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'surineor poo. Without treatment, the worms can keep laying eggs for several years.
If the eggs pass out of the body into water, they release tiny larvae that need to grow inside freshwater snails for a few weeks before they're able to infect another person.This means it's not possible to catch the infection from someone else who has it.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
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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