Patients with severe schistosomiasis mansoni in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 2021

Maurice M Nigo, and Peter Odermatt, and David Wully Nigo, and Georgette B Salieb-Beugelaar, and Manuel Battegay, and Patrick R Hunziker
Nanomedicine Translation Group, Intensive Care Unit, University Hospital Basel University of Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031, Basel, Switzerland. maurice.mutro@unibas.ch.

BACKGROUND Severe hepatosplenic complications arise in patients with chronic Schistosoma mansoni infection after heavy exposure to disease agents in endemic areas. These complications are rarely reported and, hence, underestimated. METHODS We report on eight patients with severe morbidity associated with S. mansoni infection in Ituri Province, northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The patients were identified during a community-based survey in 2017; one patient was seen at the district hospital. After taking the patients' history, a clinical examination and an abdominal ultrasonographical examination were performed. S. mansoni infection was diagnosed in fecal (Kato-Katz technique) and urine (point-of-case circulating cathodic antigen test) samples. These eight patients with severe intestinal and hepatosplenic complications were identified from four villages with high S. mansoni infection prevalence and related morbidity. The patients' ages ranged from 19 to 57 years; four patients were women. Three patients reported hematemesis. Two patients were severely anemic. All patients reported non-specific abdominal symptoms, such as diarrhea (six patients), abdominal pain (seven patients), and blood in the stool (five patients), as well as weight loss (two patients). Abdominal ultrasonography revealed ascites in four patients. All patients had portal hypertension with hepatomegaly (seven patients) or splenomegaly (five patients). Of the six patients with a discernable liver parenchyma pattern, five displayed pattern F and three patient displayed pattern E. Liver parenchyma was not visible for two patients with severe ascites. An S. mansoni infection was confirmed in six patients, with infection intensity ranging from light to heavy. All S. mansoni positive patients were treated with praziquantel (40 mg/kg body weight) and referred to the district hospital for follow-up. One patient with severe ascites died two weeks after we saw her. Due to security and accessibility reasons, the villages could not be visited again and the patients were lost to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Our observations of patients with severe schistosomiasis document the severe degree of endemicity of S. mansoni in the province and suggest an urgent need for adequate schistosomiasis control measures that target vulnerable population groups and address severe complications.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D011223 Praziquantel An anthelmintic used in most schistosome and many cestode infestations. Biltricide,Cesol,Cisticid,Cysticide,Droncit,Drontsit,EMBAY 8440,Prasiquantel,Praziquantel, (+-)-Isomer,Praziquantel, (R)-Isomer,Praziquantel, (S)-Isomer,Pyquiton,Traziquantel
D005243 Feces Excrement from the INTESTINES, containing unabsorbed solids, waste products, secretions, and BACTERIA of the DIGESTIVE SYSTEM.
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012550 Schistosoma mansoni A species of trematode blood flukes of the family Schistosomatidae. It is common in the Nile delta. The intermediate host is the planorbid snail. This parasite causes schistosomiasis mansoni and intestinal bilharziasis. Schistosoma mansonus,mansonus, Schistosoma
D012552 Schistosomiasis Infection with flukes (trematodes) of the genus SCHISTOSOMA. Three species produce the most frequent clinical diseases: SCHISTOSOMA HAEMATOBIUM (endemic in Africa and the Middle East), SCHISTOSOMA MANSONI (in Egypt, northern and southern Africa, some West Indies islands, northern 2/3 of South America), and SCHISTOSOMA JAPONICUM (in Japan, China, the Philippines, Celebes, Thailand, Laos). S. mansoni is often seen in Puerto Ricans living in the United States. Bilharziasis,Katayama Fever,Schistoma Infection,Bilharziases,Fever, Katayama,Infection, Schistoma,Infections, Schistoma,Schistoma Infections,Schistosomiases
D012555 Schistosomiasis mansoni Schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma mansoni. It is endemic in Africa, the Middle East, South America, and the Caribbean and affects mainly the bowel, spleen, and liver. Schistosomiasis, Intestinal,Schistosoma mansoni Infection,Infection, Schistosoma mansoni,Infections, Schistosoma mansoni,Intestinal Schistosomiases,Intestinal Schistosomiasis,Schistosoma mansoni Infections,Schistosomiases, Intestinal

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