Schistosomiasis News and Research

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Schistosomiaisis is a disease caused by parasitic worms. You become infected when your skin comes in contact with contaminated freshwater in which certain types of snails that carry schistosomes are living. Schistosomiasis is not found in the United States, but more than 200 million people are infected worldwide.

Male contraception has barely changed in a century. What comes next?

A review traces more than 5,000 years of male contraception, from early penile sheaths and the development of modern condoms and vasectomy to today's search for reversible alternatives. Researchers are now testing hormonal gels, non-hormonal compounds and vas-occlusive technologies, although these approaches remain at different stages of preclinical and clinical development.

15 Sep 2026

Gut infection leaves long-lasting immune ‘memories’ at the brain’s borders in mice

In mice, intestinal infections reshaped dural CD4+ T-cell populations and seeded the brain’s outer meningeal border with antigen-specific memory cells that persisted for months and mounted rapid recall responses to bloodborne antigens. Oral priming was associated with reduced Salmonella spread to the brain and modest cross-protection in an engineered shared-antigen Candida model, although the researchers could not definitively prove that dural CD4+ T cells alone caused the protection.

9 Sep 2026

Climate-warming shifts habitat risks for schistosomiasis-transmitting snails

Schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease transmitted by Schistosoma worms, affects more than 240 million people, while over 800 million live in areas at risk. In China, Schistosoma japonicum depends on the amphibious snail Oncomelania hupensis.

26 Aug 2026

UiA research project develops mobile app to combat world’s most neglected tropical diseases

A research project at UiA is working to combat one of the world’s most neglected tropical diseases. A mobile app has now been developed to train healthcare workers in Africa to detect the disease.

14 Aug 2026

Study detects early warning signs of schistosomiasis drug resistance

Scientists have identified genetic changes in wild populations of the parasitic worm that causes schistosomiasis which may reduce its response to praziquantel, the only available treatment.

17 Jul 2026

Overlooked parasitic disease linked to HIV and cervical cancer risk

New research from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) has highlighted the need to test millions of women and girls for female genital schistosomiasis (FGS), a neglected disease that can increase the risk of chronic illness, HIV and cervical cancer.

3 Jul 2026

Researchers urge expanded testing for neglected female genital schistosomiasis

2 Jul 2026

New schistosomiasis vaccine induces robust immune memory responses

For a vaccine to be effective, it must do two things. First, it must trigger an immune response. Second, the vaccine must train the body to remember the response so it can fight that same disease in the future.

29 Jun 2026

Rice-fish coculturing may reduce schistosomiasis and poverty

The chronic disease schistosomiasis wreaks havoc on more than 220 million people around the world, with the vast majority of cases being in sub-Saharan Africa.

4 Jun 2026

PAHO and The Carter Center join hands on the elimination of onchocerciasis across the Americas

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and The Carter Center signed a Technical Cooperation Agreement today to strengthen collaboration on the elimination of onchocerciasis — also known as river blindness — and other communicable diseases in the Americas.

21 May 2026

Precision mapping identifies household hotspots of schistosomiasis

High-precision mapping tools can pinpoint where schistosomiasis persists down to the household level, potentially transforming efforts to eliminate the disease affecting 250 million people, a 13-year study has found.

16 Mar 2026

Study explains persistent schistosomiasis hotspots in China

A 13-year study led by the Colorado School of Public Health at the University of Colorado Anschutz reveals why a deadly parasitic infection targeted for elimination in China persisted in some areas even after decades of control.

23 Feb 2026

Single gene discovery reveals key sex difference in immune response

A new study has uncovered a key difference between the immune system of males and females - and it comes down to a single gene.

28 Aug 2025

Parasitic worm evades detection by suppressing skin neurons

New research, published in The Journal of Immunology, discovered that a parasitic worm suppresses neurons in the skin to evade detection.

11 Aug 2025

Burundi eliminates trachoma and sets example for disease control in Africa

The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Burundi as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, making it the eighth country in WHO's African Region to reach this important milestone.

11 Jul 2025

Researchers find immune system proteins involved in severe cases of schistosomiasis

New insights into the mechanisms that cause more severe cases of schistosomiasis - a disease caused by parasitic worms and second only to malaria in terms of potential harm - have been revealed by researchers at Penn State.

21 Apr 2025

New study connects parasitic disease to genetic changes in the cervical lining

New research has revealed that Schistosoma haematobium (S. haematobium), a parasitic infection affecting millions globally, can trigger cancer-related gene activity in the cervical lining, with changes becoming even more pronounced after treatment.

12 Apr 2025

Global study sheds light on differences in medicine taste sensitivity

Many medicines taste so bitter that some people avoid taking them. To help with the bad taste, flavors and sweeteners are added to modify the taste and make it more acceptable.

4 Mar 2025

Autophagy in HPCs modulates exosomal miRNAs to inhibit liver fibrosis

The study investigates the role of autophagy in hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) and its potential to modulate exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) to inhibit liver fibrosis in the context of schistosomiasis, a disease caused by parasitic flatworms that can lead to severe organ damage, particularly to the liver.

2 Sep 2024