TO THE EDITOR—We read the photo quiz authored by Bagdure and Khasawneh with interest [1]. The authors described a case of schistosomiasis colitis caused by Schistosoma mansoni, which was diagnosed after review of hematoxylin-eosin– stained colonic biopsy sections. This case emphasizes the challenges associated with obtaining a laboratory diagnosis of schistosomiasis based on examination of ova ...

Schistosoma parasites are blood flukes that infect an estimated 200 million people worldwide. In chronic infection with Schistosoma, the severe pathology, including liver fibrosis and splenomegaly, is caused by the immune response to the parasite eggs rather than the parasite itself. Parasite eggs induce a Th2 response characterized by the production of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13, the alternative act...

BACKGROUND Refugees may arrive for resettlement with asymptomatic parasitic infections, and eosinophilia may be the only clue to the presence of infection. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of eosinophilia and develop a standardized approach to the evaluation of asymptomatic refugees with eosinophilia. METHODS We reviewed the medical records of refugees seen from October 1998 through Ma...

Schistosoma circulating antigens were used to indicate the infection intensity and to assess cure. An immunoglobulin G2a (IgG2a) mouse monoclonal antibody was used in a fast dot-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA; FDA) for rapid and simple diagnosis of schistosomiasis in the field. Seven hundred Egyptians were parasitologically examined for Schistosoma mansoni and other parasitic infectio...

BACKGROUND Schistosomiasis remains a significant health burden in many areas of the world. Morbidity control, focused on limiting infection intensity through periodic delivery of anti-schistosomal medicines, is the thrust of current World Health Organization guidelines (2006) for reduction of Schistosoma-related disease. A new appreciation of the lifetime impact of repeated Schistosoma infectio...

BACKGROUND Stunted development and reduced fecundity of Schistosoma parasites in immunodeficient mice and the impaired ability of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1)-infected humans to excrete schistosome eggs have been described. This study explores the effect that HIV-1-associated immunodeficiency has on the excretion of schistosome eggs in a large cohort of coinfected individuals. METHO...

BACKGROUND The current reference test for the detection of S. mansoni in endemic areas is stool microscopy based on one or more Kato-Katz stool smears. However, stool microscopy has several shortcomings that greatly affect the efficacy of current schistosomiasis control programs. A highly specific multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the Schistosoma internal transcriber...