Schistosomiasis (cont.)
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD
Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
In this Article
- What is schistosomiasis?
- What causes schistosomiasis?
- What are the symptoms and signs of schistosomiasis?
- How is schistosomiasis diagnosed?
- What is the treatment for schistosomiasis?
- When should people with schistosomiasis seek medical care?
- What are the complications of schistosomiasis?
- Can schistosomiasis be prevented?
- What is the prognosis (outcome) for schistosomiasis?
- Schistosomiasis At A Glance
What are the symptoms and signs of schistosomiasis?
Although a few patients may have minor skin irritation when the cercariae enter the skin, most people do not develop symptoms until the eggs develop (about one to two months after initial skin penetration). Then, fever, chills, cough, and muscle aches can begin within one to two months of infection. However, most people have no symptoms at this early phase of infection. Unfortunately, a few patients develop acute schistosomiasis (Katayama fever) during this one- to two-month period, and their symptoms resemble those for serum sickness and are as follows:
- Fever
- Abdominal pain (liver/spleen area)
- Bloody diarrhea or blood in the stools
- Cough
- Malaise
- Headache
- Rash
- Body aches
The majority of people who develop chronic schistosomiasis have symptoms develop months or years after the initial exposure to the parasites. The following is a list of most symptoms associated with chronic schistosomiasis. Patients usually have a few of these symptoms.
- Abdominal pain
- Abdominal swelling (ascites)
- Bloody diarrhea or blood in the stools
- Blood in the urine and painful urination
- Shortness of breath and coughing
- Weakness
- Chest pain and palpitations
- Seizures
- Paralysis
- Mental status changes
- Lesions on the vulva or the perianal area
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