Schistosomiasis
Alternative Names
Bilharzia; Katayama fever; Swimmer's itch; Blood flukeSymptoms
- Symptoms vary with the species of worm and the phase of infection.
- Initial invasion of the skin may cause itching and a rash (swimmer's itch).
- Heavy infestation (a large number of parasites) may cause fever, chills, lymph node enlargement, and liver and spleen enlargement.
- Urinary symptoms may include frequent urination, painful urination (dysuria), and blood in the urine (hematuria).
- Intestinal symptoms include abdominal pain and diarrhea (which may be bloody).
Exams and Tests
- Test for schistosome eggs in urine
- Test for schistosome eggs in stool
- Biopsy of tissue suspected of being infected
- Anemia (low number of red blood cells)
- High eosinophil (a type of white blood cell) count in blood
- Low platelets
- Urinalysis
- Antibody test
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