SCHISTOSOMIASIS

My name is Kyale Chante Walker, and I had schistosomiasis. This is the story of how it all happened.

It was a sunny day in Venezuela. Our study group is here to research a new epidemic occuring in South America. Anyways, I had the day off to relax and explore the country. I came across a lake, very calm and peaceful. Since it was so hot outside and I needed a refreshing spot to relax, I decided to go for swim. As I was swimming around, I noticed a lot a sick-looking snails in the water. Then, to my surprise, I saw a man urinating nearby in the lake. At that point, I decided to get out. I went back to my condo, and laid down. A few days went by, and I was becoming sick. I had developed

a nasty rash on my thighs, and it was hard for me to walk without pain. My fellow researchers noticed my itchy skin and reccomended me to go to the doctor. So I did just that. I explained to Dr. Gonzales my symptoms and right away he knew I had been exposed to contaminated water. He told me about this disease I couldn't pronounce. SCHISTOSOMIASIS. That word was so striking and scary that it caused chills to run down my spine. He explained what it is and how I got it.

First, the lake I had swam in was contaminated by Schistosoma eggs, caused when infected people urinate or defecate in the water. That's when I remembered the man by the lake. Eww, I thought. Anyways, the eggs then hatch, and if certain types are present in the water, the parasites grow and develop inside the snails. The parasite leaves the snail and enters the water. Dr. Gonzales told me that the parasite penetrated my skin while I was swimming and it released worms inside of my blood vessels and produced eggs. Then he said tha those eggs traveled through my body, thus causing my awful rash. I was so shocked and sick at that point. I asked Dr. Gonzales what other symptons I could get. He said I was at risk for lung, bladder, intestines, or liver disease. He said these symptoms are caused by my body's reaction to thr eggs produced by worms, not the worms only. Dr. Gonzales said that I would be OK, however. He tested my blood, and found that the eggs werent affecting serious places. THANK GOD! He prescribed me some pills to take for 2-3 days. From that day on out, I never got into another fresh water lake, river, or stream. Just to be sure that you dont end up like me, here are some things you can do to prevent schistosomiasis:

• avoid swimming in fresh water in countries where schistosomiasis occurs( Africa, South America, Caribbean, Middle East, and Southeast Asia )
• bathe in water that is heated for 5 minutes at 150F.
• drink safe water. Boil water for 1 min. or filter water before drinking it. Boiling water will kill any harmful substances present.

Well, that's my story on how I had schistosomiasis!

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/schistosomiasis/default.htm

• www.who.int/tdr/diseases/schisto/default.htm

• www.tulane.edu/dmsander/WWW/224/Schisto.html