Bilharzia | Symptoms, Treatment, Vaccines
What is Bilharzia?
Sometimes called Schistosomiasis, or snail fever, Bilharzia is a disease called by parasitic worms (schistosomes) entering the body. If the disease isn't treated there may be damage to internal organs, such as the liver, kidney, bladder, lungs, spinal cord, brain, and even the central nervous system.
What Are The Symptoms?
Bilharzia results in stomach pains, diarrhea, and there may be blood in the stools or urine.
Of those who do contract polio, only a small percentage will develop the paralytic disease.
How Is It Contracted?
The parasitic worms are carried by freshwater snails and the disease can be contracted by coming into contact with water in which snails are present. It is not necessary to consume the water because the worm larvae can penetrate the skin. Having entered someone's body, the larvae mature and then reproduce.
There is no human to human infection.
Who Is At Most Risk?
People who live, travel or work in areas where water has been contaminated by the presence of snails.
Where Are You At Risk?
Certain parts of sub-Saharan Africa seem to be the worst affected areas, followed by Brazil. In the part of the world where I live (Southeast Asia) it does exist, but I have never heard of anyone I know personally contracting Bilharzia in Thailand. However, I have read that it is more prevalent in Cambodia and Laos. It also affects the Middle East region in countries such as Yemen.
Vaccination
According to Wikipedia, "No effective vaccine for the disease exists yet." Bilharzia is regarded as a negelected tropical disease that only affects poor localities. Large pharmaceutical companies are not interested because there are no big profits to be made.
Other organisations which don't put as much emphasis on profit have carried out research and a vacine that redduces adult worm numbers and reduces egg production is ready for chemical trials.
If you visit a country where Bilharzia is known to be a problem do as much as you can to prevent an infection. Avoid swimming or wading in bodies of fresh water regardless of how attractive and inviting the water may appear to be. Chlorinated swimming pools and salt water seas and oceans aren't a problem.
Drink safe bottled water and use the same for washing food. Boil any drinking water for at least a minute if you have any doubts that it is from a safe source.
Source Of information
GlaxoSmithKline, Wikipedia, local doctors, local hospitals, newspaper articles, various.