![]() Human schistosomiasis, commonly known as bilharzia, is a water-based parasitic infection caused by blood flukes (trematodes). In children, these infections impede physical growth and cognitive development, contributing significantly to school absenteeism. Infected people depict a wide range of symptoms that may include nausea, tiredness, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite that is likely to aggravate malnutrition and amplify rates of anaemia. trichiura) or by active penetration of the skin by larvae in the soil (hookworms). STH infections are caused by ingestion of eggs from contaminated soil ( A. Majority of these countries which are endemic for both STH and schistosome infections are now implementing MDA programmes, either through school-based deworming (SBD) or lymphatic filariasis control programmes. For this reason, WHO has prioritized both STH and schistosome infections for elimination by the year 2020, through delivery of mass drug administration (MDA) to at-risk populations, including pre-school and school-aged children. ![]() STH infections are endemic in 166 countries worldwide while schistosome infections are endemic in 76 countries, and these infections combined affect more than three billion people globally and occur mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, the Americas, China and East Asia with the burden of prevention and control of these infections costing developing economies billions of dollars every year. ![]() Soil-transmitted helminths (STH: Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and the hookworms, Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale) and schistosomes ( Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma heamatobium) are among the diseases classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). ![]()
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