What are the symptoms of schistosomiasis?

Disease is scary, and I believe no one wants to get sick. However, due to various reasons, many kinds of diseases may still strike, such as schistosomiasis. This disease can be said to be very scary, and the harm is also relatively serious. Therefore, people need to understand some of the symptoms of schistosomiasis. Only by understanding the symptoms can they discover it early. So what are the symptoms of schistosomiasis?

Main symptoms

1. It occurs in summer and autumn, mostly in people who are first infected and lack immunity, but patients with chronic schistosomiasis may also become ill if they are reinfected with a large number of cercariae.

2. Most patients have a clear date of contact with infected water. The incubation period is 23 to 73 days, with an average of about one month.

3. Fever and serum sickness-like reactions are the prominent clinical manifestations of this disease, in addition to hepatosplenomegaly, abdominal and lung symptoms.

4. Fever: All patients have fever, which may be intermittent fever, remittent fever, irregular low-grade fever, etc. Intermittent fever and remittent fever are the most common. In severe cases, it may manifest as retained fever. According to the degree of fever and the severity of the toxicity, acute schistosomiasis can be divided into three types: mild, moderate and severe.

5. The shortest period is about 2 weeks, and the longest period can last for several months, usually around one month.

6. Serum sickness-like manifestations: urticaria, INL duct edema, generalized superficial lymphadenopathy, occasional hemorrhagic purpura, bronchial asthma, etc. The number of blood cells increases, among which the increase in eosinophils is particularly significant, which has certain diagnostic value. Hepatosplenomegaly: More than 90% of patients have an enlarged liver with tenderness, especially the left lobe. Jaundice is uncommon. More than half of the patients had mild spleen enlargement.

7. Abdominal symptoms: More than half of the patients experience abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, etc. during the course of the disease.

8. Pulmonary symptoms: More than half of the patients have mild cough, but the sputum is small and rarely contains mucus. Pulmonary signs are often unclear, and occasionally there may be audible hiccups or small amounts of wet hiccups. Chest X-ray findings vary, with increased lung markings early on and dot-like, cloud-like, or snowflake-like infiltration shadows at the peak of the disease. This change usually appears more than a month after the onset of the disease, but lasts for a long time.

9. If there is myocardial damage, the electrocardiogram may show low voltage, flat or inverted T waves, and prolonged Q-T period.

10. Some critically ill patients may experience severe anemia, extreme weight loss, cachexia or edema.

11. If there is ectopic damage to the brain, corresponding symptoms and signs may appear.

How to prevent schistosomiasis?

1. Since schistosomiasis is transmitted by snails, which are mostly aquatic, it is most important to minimize contact with infected water.

2. Since schistosomiasis in China is mostly distributed along the Yangtze River, try to reduce contact with river water.

3. If you happen to come into contact with infected water, you should take medicine and treat the contacted area, or apply some preventive products before coming into contact with infected water.

4. If you find that you are infected with schistosomiasis, you should seek treatment immediately. The treatment for schistosomiasis in China is free and easy to cure, so don’t worry too much.