Schistosomiasis (bilharzia) is one of the major parasitic infections in tropical areas. It is caused by blood-dwelling flukes, residing in the mesenteric and pelvic veins of the human host. Over... Show moreSchistosomiasis (bilharzia) is one of the major parasitic infections in tropical areas. It is caused by blood-dwelling flukes, residing in the mesenteric and pelvic veins of the human host. Over 200 million individuals are estimated to be infected with these worms, while at least 700 million people are at risk. The conventional method to diagnose this disease is by the demonstration of parasite eggs in faecal or urine specimens. However, this technique has several disadvantages, a.o. infections with low worm burden can be easily missed, and due to a high day-to-day fluctuation in egg counts, repeated examinations are needed to estimate the intensity of infection. Alternatively, schistosomiasis can be diagnosed by the detection of host antibodies directed against schistosome antigens. This technique has shown to be highly sensitive and specific, but is not able to differentiate between active and past infection, or to give information about intensity of infection Show less
