Schistosomiasis Species and Clinical Forms

Schistosomiasis

• Schistosomiasis is a disease caused by Schistosoma parasites, with S. mansoni, S. japonicum, and S. intercalatum being the most common species.
• The frequency of S. mansoni infection is higher than those of S. japonicum and S. intercalatum.
• Clinical symptoms vary depending on the parasite load and species, with S. haematobium causing haematuria, frequent and painful micturition, and evolution to fibrosis urethral, and S. mansoni causing bloody diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and evolution to liver fibrosis.

Transmission and Prevention

• Transmission occurs through contact with the parasite when bathing or swimming in contaminated water.
• Key factors for preventing water-based diseases include:
  • Safe water supply
  • Adequate drainage of stagnant waters
  • Control of snails
  • Mass drug administrations

Insect Vectors

• Insect vectors transmit diseases such as malaria, dengue, sleeping sickness, filariasis, and yellow fever through biting or near water.
• Mosquitoes are a common vector, breeding in water and transmitting diseases such as malaria and yellow fever.

Malaria

• Malaria is caused by the Plasmodium parasite (falciparum, vivax, malariae, and ovale).
• The vector is the female Anopheles mosquito (Anopheles gambiae complex).
• Clinical symptoms include painful muscles and joints, high fever with chills, headache, diarrhoea, vomiting, coma, and death, and anaemia.

Yellow Fever

• Yellow fever is caused by a virus (Flaviviridiae).
• The vector is the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
• Clinical symptoms include fever, headache, myalgia, nausea, red eyes, and jaundice.
• Breeding occurs in stagnant waters, and the mosquitoes only bite during daylight.

Bioremediation and Water Treatment

• Bioremediation involves the use of microbes to 'eat up' contaminants such as oil and organic matter.
• Biological treatment of wastewater can be improved by enhancing the production of flocculating biopolymers, improving oxygen scavenging ability, and using immobilized cells to recover toxic metals.
• Anaerobic reactors (bioreactors) contain plastic hollow particle-like carriers on which a biofilm grows, causing contaminants to decompose.

Biofilms

• Biofilms are communities of microorganisms that grow on surfaces, producing a protective matrix.
• Biofilms can grow virtually everywhere, producing toxic alga blooms and creating O2 depleting zones in lakes, rivers, and coastal environments.
• Biofilms can fouling surfaces, causing problems in industrial environments, membrane systems, and medical devices.
• Biofilms can cause nosocomial infections, and are responsible for over 65% of infections treated in the developed world.

Biofilms and Human Health

• Biofilms can contaminate medical devices, causing infections and health risks.
• Medical implants, such as catheters and prosthetic devices, are susceptible to biofilm formation.
• Dental plaque is a biofilm that builds up on teeth, changing from a gram-positive to a gram-negative anaerobic structure.

Anaerobic Reactors

• Anaerobic reactors are used to treat wastewater, with the simplest being a septic tank.
• The minimum allowable time for solids to remain in the system is determined by the growth rate of methanogens, which have a minimum doubling time of 3.3 days at 35°C.

Quiz about the different species of Schistosomiasis, their clinical forms, and transmission methods. Covers S. haematobium, S. japonicum, and S. mansoni, and their effects on the urinary and intestinal systems.