UNIVRSITY OF GONDAR

COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE AND ANIMAL SCIENCES

REVIEW ON SCHISTOSOMAAND ITS ECONOMIC IMPORTANC

BY

ZEMICHAEL MARIE

A paper presented for the course of Seminar on Animal Health (VETM-5223)

AUGEST, 2022

GONDAR, ETHIOPIA
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First and foremost, I would like to thank the almighty God who gave me the strength and
protection in all my educational life and to complete this review writing. Next, my deepest
gratitude goes to my advisor Dr.Astede Weyim her valuable and constructive advice and
comments in the write up of this seminar paper.

I am highly indebted to my family for their unlimited financial and moral support still this very
date of my educational career. Finally, I would like to thank all staff members of the college of
veterinary medicine and animal sciences, university of Gondar and my classmates for their
material support and encouragement in the preparation of this senior seminar.
Table of Contents
ACKNOWLEGMENT 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS 2
LIST OF ABBRIEVATIONS3
LIST OF FIGURE 4
SUMMERY 6
1.INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………1

2.REVIEW ON SCHISTOSOMA AND ITS ECONOMIC IMPORTANT……………………………………………………………...2

2.1 Etiology……………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………………….3

2.3epidemiology/disribution……………………………………………………………………………………………………........4

2.4 Life ciycle…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….5

2.5morphology……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..6

2.6 pathognesis………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..7

2.7 clinical sign………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….8

2.8 diagnosis…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….9

2.9 Treatment…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………10

2.10 control and prevention……………………………………………………………………………………………………………11

3 ECONOMIC IMPORTANC OF SCHISTOSOMA………………………………………………………………………………………12

3.1 IN LIFE ANIMALS…………….………………………………………………………………………………………………………..13

3.4 PUPLIC HEALTH…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………14

4 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION……………………………………………………………………………………………15

5 REFERENCE………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..16
 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

.Schistosoma mansoni………………………………..S.mansoni
Schistosoma japonicum………………………….......S.japonicum
Schistosoma mekongi…………………………………S.mekongi
Schistosoma guineensis…………………………..S.guineensis
Schistosoma intercalatum…………………………..
Praziquatel………………………………………………………………….
LIST OF FIGURE
FIGUR 1.morphlogical characterstics of adult schistosoma…………………

FIGURE.2 The life cycle of schistosoma in definitive and intermidiat host…………………………….

SUMMERY/ABSTRACT
Schistosomos is also known as blood fluke disease is an infection of animals and man due to the
genus Schistosoma. Schistosomes are dioecious (unisexual) worms, which are an exception
among the trematodes. The species of Schistosoma in animals includes Schistosoma bovis, S.
mattheei, S. margrebowiei and S. leiperi. Among these Schistosoma bovis is the common cause
of infection in cattle rearing especially in or near to marshy areas. Egg morphology, intermediate
host spectra, and definitive host-parasite relationships are the major criteria’s for species
identification of the genus Schistosoma. Schistosoma has indirect life cycle and carried through
the medium of snail hosts. The intermediate snail hosts play a significant role for the
dissemination and transmission of bovine Schistosomiasis. The disease has serious economic
impact on the livestock production system. Humans get the infection during the swimmer
months; people swim or wade in the lakes, ponds, rivers and even ocean waters frequented by the
wild birds and animals. The pathology and clinical signs of Schistosoma bovis are largely
attributed to the spined egg causing tissue irritation. S. bovis causes emaciation, marked diarrhea
mixed with blood or mucous, dehydration, pallor of mucus membrane, marked weight loss,
decreased production and rough hair coat. Praziquentel is successfully recognized as a drug of
choice against S. bovis and S. spindale of cattle, and all forms of human Schistosomosis. The
prevention and control of Schistosomiasis in endemic areas renders on drainage of marshy and
stagnant water bodies, and supply of clean water to prevent contact between the animals and the
intermediate hosts. It is finally, concluded that the increasing water conservation and changing
methods of husbandry may result in bovine Schistosomosis becoming a major veterinary concern
in most parts of the world.
 1. INTRODUCTION

Schistosomosis is an infection due to trematodes of the genus schistosoma. Although these

parasites occur in many tropical and subtropical areas, the disease is important in livestock
mainly in eastern Asia, African and India. It is also one of the major diseases of man in the
tropics, as parasites of humans or other animals,the term schistopsoma means split body and
refers to the fact that the males have a ventral groove called a gynaecophoric canal , blood flukes
lie in venules, usually in the lower abdomen, where they copulate, and the female lay eggs which
reach the outside in either feces or urine. It is has only a single intermediate host. A signal and
the forked-tailed cercaria (forko-cercaria) reach the definitive host by actively penetrating the
unbroken skin (alemneh and gebru,2015).

Snail hosts favor intensive transmission of Schistosomosis, and the disease act important pathogen
in Africa and Asia ,Most infection in endemic areas occur at sub clinical infections cause significant
losses due to long tern effects on animal growth and productivity, and increased susceptibility to
other parasitic or bacteria diseases.

The geographical distribution has been determined primarily the distribution of snail intermediate
host particularly Bulinus and Glanorbid species which are important for bovine and ovine
Schistosomosis (Urquhart et al, 2003).

These parasites cause a significant economic loss which includes death, loss in carcass weight,
reduction in milk yield, decline production and productive performances, exposure of animals
to other diseases due to secondary complications and cost of treatment expenses [Mogdy et al,
2009]. Moreover; the public significance Schistosomosis has been reported from different parts
of the world including Ethiopia. Human acquire infection through ingestion of metacercariae
that are attached to certain aquatic plant and vegetables [Mohammad and Waqtola, 2006].
The major transmitting sites of the disease are small streams all over the highlands of Ethiopia,
lakes like Tana, as well as irrigation systems, such as sugar state( atanew and kelemu 2020)
The transmission of schistosomiasis takes place only in the place where fresh water snail vector
is present and where there is contact between the host and infested water [Okpala, 2004].
Animal and human schistosomiasis is dependent on environmental factors such as moisture,
rainfall, temperature, water bodies (stagnant ponds, swamps, streams, rivers, irrigation canals,
marshes and dams) and snail intermediate hosts [Li et al., 2012].

Praziquantel is highly effective for the treatment of bovine schistosomiasis. Treatment of

schistosomiasis helps in reversing acute or early chronic disease, preventing complications
associated with chronic infection and preventing neuroschistosomiasis. The most effective way to
control cattle schistosomiasis in endemic areas is to prevent contact between the animals and the
parasite [Richer, 2003]. Therefore the objectives of this review were to explain the etiology,
epedimology, diagnosis, treatment of Bovine Schistosomiasis, and to describe the risk factors,
transmission, and economic importance of Bovine Schistosomiasis.
 REVIEW ON SCHISTOSOMA

2.1. Etiology

Schistosomes are thin, elongated flukes up to 2cm long primarily parasitizing blood vessels
of the alimentary and bladder responsible to cause schistosomosis. Bilharziasis is a disease
caused by trematodes of the genus Schistosoma with different species. The taxonomic
classification of the organism is presented as kingdom Animalia, Phylum Platyhelminthes,
class Trematoda, sub class digenea, Family Schistosomatidae, Genus Schistosoma.
Different species are described worldwide and they can be differentiated between from
their morphological features, lifecycle, host specificity, enzyme and DNA and behavioral.
Veterinary important species of Schistosoma that cause major impact on domestic animals
include Schistosoma bovis (ruminants in Africa and Asia), Schistosoma leiperi (cattle in
Africa), Schistosoma spindale (ruminants, horse and pigs in(Atanew and kelemu,2020).

2.2 EPIDEMIOLOGY

Schistosomiasis is prevalent in tropical and subtropical areas, especially in poor communities

without access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. It is estimated that at least 90% of
those requiring treatment for schistosomiasis live in Africa.

There are 2 major forms of schistosomiasis – intestinal and urogenital – caused by 5 main spe
cies of blood fluke
Table: Parasite species and geographical distribution of schistosomiasis

Species Geographical distribution

Intestinal Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean,
Schistosoma mansoni
schistosomiasis Brazil, Venezuela and Suriname
Schistosoma japonicum China, Indonesia, the Philippines
Several districts of Cambodia and the Lao
Schistosoma mekongi
People’s Democratic Republic
Schistosoma guineensis and
Rain forest areas of central Africa
related S. intercalatum
Urogenital
Schistosoma haematobium Africa, the Middle East, France(WHO,2022)
schistosomiasis
2.2. Morphology

The Schistosome parasites are elongate, unisexual and dimorphic trematodes, which inhabit the
blood vessels of their hosts. The female is slender and usually longer than the male and the
female is carried in the gutter –like groove, the gynaecophoric canal of the male. The average
length of adult male was (16.7± 1.3mm) and it had two suckers (oral and ventral) and distinct
gynaecophoric canal and 3-6 testicles situated behind the ventral sucker, and in all specimens
showed male holding the threadlike female in gynaecophoric canal. As in other flukes the
digestive system of Schistosoma is blind, i.e. it has no anus but ends in a blind branch, the
cecum. Schistosoma eggs have species-specific sizes (130-300x40-90 micrometers) and are oval
to spindle-shaped, with or without spines (Kahn, 2011). The Schistosomes are different from
most other members of the digenea, the sexes are separate. The term Schistosome or
Schistosoma means split body and refers to the fact that the males have a ventral groove called
gynaecophoric canal (Atanew and Kelemu,2020).
FIGUR 1.morphlogical characterstics of adult schistosoma (atanew and
kelemu,2020)
Schistosome life cycle

The schistosome life cycle occurs in 2 hosts: snails and mammals. Either asexual
or sexual reproduction occurs, depending on the type of host . Asexual
reproduction occurs in freshwater snails. In the snail, this begins with the
development of miracidia into a sporocyst. Sporocysts multiply and grow into
cercariae. In the mammalian hosts, parasites grow to become mature, mate, and
produce eggs.1,

Viana M., Faust C.L., Haydon D.T., Webster J.P., Lamberton P.H.L. The effects of
subcurative praziquantel treatment on life-history treats and trade-offs in drug-
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Snail host

Mammal hosts release worm eggs into the external environment through feces or
urine.9 Biology: parasaties–schistosomiasis.
https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/schistosomiasis/biology.html/. Accessed June 23,
2019. [Ref list] , 10(Shuja A., Guan J., Harris C., Alkhasawneh A., Malespin M., De
Melo S. Intestinal Schistosomiasis: A rare cause of abdominal pain and weight
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snails.8, 11( Geyer K.K., Munshi S.E., Vickers M., Squance M., Wilkinson T.J., Berrar
D. The anti-fecundity effect of 5-azacytidine (5-AzaC) on Schistosoma mansoni is
linked to dis-regulated transcription, translation, and stem cell activities.
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article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar] [Ref list] ) S. haematobium infects snails of the
genus Bulinus. S. japonicum infects snails of the genus Oncomelania. S. mekongi
infects snails of the genus Neutricula.12 S. mansoni infects snails of the genus
Biomphalaria.12(Roquis D., Taudt A., Geyer K.K., Padalino G., Hoffmann K.F.,
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After infiltration, the miracidium removes the ciliated plates, develops into a
mother sporocyst, and then produces daughter sporocysts.8, 13 Daughter
sporocysts produce either cercaria (cercariogenous sporocysts) or more daughter
sporocysts (sporocystogenous sporocysts). Daughter sporocysts can also
experience a re-differentiation into new daughter sporocysts.8 Snails can shed
hundreds of cercariae daily; about 200 for S. haematobium, 15 to 160 for S.
japonicum, and 250 to 600 for S. mansoni.

Mammalian hosts

Cercariae enter human skin and shed their forked tail, forming schistosomula.9,
13(Gurarie D., Lo N.C., Ndeffo-Mbah M.L., Durham D.P., King C.H. The human snail
transmission environment shapes long term schistosomiasis control outcomes:
Implications for improving the accuracy of predictive modeling. PloS Negl Trop
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schistosomula migrate throughout the body's tissues through blood circulation.9
Schistosomula grow into schistosomes and adult worms.6, 13 These adult worms
each have a ZZ chromosome pair in males and a ZW chromosome pair in
females.13

Adult worms in humans exist in various locations specific to each species. S.

haematobium exists in the bladder9, 14(Abe E.M., Guan W., Guo Y.-H., Kassegne
K., Qin Z.-Q., Xu J. Differentiating snail intermediate hosts of Schistosoma spp.
using molecular approaches: fundamental to successful integrated control
mechanism in Africa. Infectious Diseases of Poverty. 2018 March;7:29. [PMC free
article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar] [Ref list) and ureters, but it can also exist in
the rectal venules. S. japonicum exists more frequently in the small intestine.9 S.
mansoni worms can exist in either large or small intestine9, 14 and they are able
to transfer between those sites.9 Water containing cercariae can cause human
schistosomiasis.7(Braun L., Grimes J.E.T., Templeton M.R. The effectiveness of
water treatment processes against schistosome cercariae: A systematic review.
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Clinical manifestations of schistosomiasis consist of acute (Katayama syndrome)

and chronic manifestations. The incubation period of Katayama syndrome is
about 14 to 84 days. Katayama syndrome's symptoms may include fever,
headache, myalgia, rash, and respiratory symptoms. For S. haematobium, clinical
manifestations of the chronic disease can cause dysuria and hematuria. It can also
lead to injury of the genital tract and susceptibility to other infections. Chronic
infections can cause bladder cancer. Clinical manifestations of the chronic disease
are blood in the stool, constipation, and diarrhea. These clinical manifestations
occur in patients with S. japonicum and S. mansoni schistosomiasis. Chronic
inflammation also occurs in patients with S. japonicum and S. mansoni
schistosomiasis. It can cause bowel wall ulceration, fibrosis, hyperplasia,
polyposis, and portal hypertension.15 Resources for health professionals:
parasites–shistosomiasis.
https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/schistosomiasis/health_professionals/index.htmlx
. Accessed June 23, 2019. [

FIGURE.2 The life cycle of schistosoma in definitive and intermidiat host

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