Fact sheet – Bilharzia

• Schistosomiasis is the medical term for Bilharzia
• Bilharzia is an acute and chronic disease caused by schistosome parasitic worms
• You cannot see the parasite when it enters your body
• The worms can stay in the body from 5 to 30 years
• At least 261 million people required preventive treatment for Bilharzia in 2013 [1]
• Only 40 million of these were treated in 2013 [1]
• People are infected during routine agricultural, domestic, occupational and recreational activities which expose them to infested water
• School-aged children are vulnerable due to swimming or fishing in infested water
• Bilharzia can be treated with Praziquantel
• Genital Bilharzia can cause suffering and infertility in both males and females

[1] World Health Organisation (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs115/en/)