How does schistosomiasis affect the body?

How does schistosomiasis affect the body?

Children who are repeatedly infected can develop anemia, malnutrition, and learning difficulties. After years of infection, the parasite can also damage the liver, intestine, lungs, and bladder. Rarely, eggs are found in the brain or spinal cord and can cause seizures, paralysis, or spinal cord inflammation.

How do humans become infected with schistosomiasis?

The parasites that cause schistosomiasis live in certain types of freshwater snails. The infectious form of the parasite, known as cercariae, emerge from the snail into the water. You can become infected when your skin comes in contact with contaminated freshwater.

Can you see schistosomiasis in urine?

Schistosomiasis is diagnosed through the detection of parasite eggs in stool or urine specimens. Antibodies and/or antigens detected in blood or urine samples are also indications of infection.

What are two symptoms of schistosomiasis?

Within 1-2 months of infection, symptoms may develop including fever, chills, cough, and muscle aches. Without treatment, schistosomiasis can persist for years. Signs and symptoms of chronic schistosomiasis include: abdominal pain, enlarged liver, blood in the stool or blood in the urine, and problems passing urine.

What are 3 common parasites that are harmful to humans?

There are three main classes of parasites that can cause disease in humans: protozoa, helminths, and ectoparasites. Entamoeba histolytica is a protozoan.

Can you pass worms in your urine?

Schistosoma parasites can penetrate the skin of persons who are wading, swimming, bathing, or washing in contaminated water. Within several weeks, worms grow inside the blood vessels of the body and produce eggs. Some of these eggs travel to the bladder or intestines and are passed into the urine or stool.

What are the stages of schistosomiasis?

The stages of the schistosome life cycle (1–10) include (1) elimination from the host as eggs in feces or urine (diagnostic stage), (2) hatching of miracidia, (3) infection of species-specific aqueous snail intermediate hosts, (4) proliferation of sporocysts within snails, (5) release of cercariae into water (infective …

Can you have schistosomiasis and not know?

Most people have no symptoms when they are first infected. However, within days after becoming infected, they may develop a rash or itchy skin. Within 1-2 months of infection, symptoms may develop including fever, chills, cough, and muscle aches. Without treatment, schistosomiasis can persist for years.

Can schistosomiasis be transmitted from person to person?

A person with schistosomiasis cannot pass it on to another person. Humans only become infected through contaminated water where the snails are living.

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