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How Everyday Local Travel Keeps Schistosomiasis Transmission Alive Near Lake Victoria
Schistosomiasis, or bilharzia, is one of the most widespread parasitic diseases on earth. It sickens hundreds of millions of people, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa. For years the global health world has pushed hard against it, and in plenty of places the push has worked. Infection rates fell. Communities that once carried heavy disease burdens now clear the World Health Organization’s bar for “elimination as a public health problem.” Clearing that bar is not the same as killing the parasite off. A growing pile of evidence shows that in some communities the infection keeps humming along even after the numbers look fine on paper, and then it comes back.…
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Praziquantel Cures 82% of Schistosoma mansoni in Northern Uganda, But Reinfection Returns in 6 Months
Every year, hundreds of millions of people swallow a single pink tablet to hold a parasitic worm at bay. In the fishing villages and farm fields of Northern Uganda, that tablet is doing its job. The parasite, though, keeps finding its way back. A 24-week follow up of schoolchildren in one of the country’s most infected regions paints a clear and uncomfortable picture of what “control” actually means once you leave the clinic. This post covers what the study found, why it should worry anyone working on neglected tropical diseases, and what it says about how often we ought to be treating the people most exposed. What schistosomiasis is, and…
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Synriam and Praziquantel: A New Combination Therapy for Schistosomiasis
The Persistent Challenge of Schistosomiasis Schistosomiasis remains one of the most neglected tropical diseases worldwide, affecting hundreds of millions of people across Africa, Asia, and South America. Despite decades of control efforts, this parasitic infection continues to burden resource-limited communities where access to clean water and adequate sanitation remains scarce. For years, praziquantel has stood as the primary weapon against schistosomiasis. It works, it is relatively safe, and it does not break the bank. But the drug has its problems. Most notably, praziquantel shows reduced efficacy against juvenile worms, particularly those in the early stages of development. This creates a frustrating gap: infected individuals carry immature parasites that survive standard…
