Schistosomiasis is one of the most common diseases in the world; it is also known as bilharziasis, after its discovery by Sir Theodore Bilharz in Egypt in 1851. All species of Schistosoma that infect humans have the capability to cause significant gastrointestinal disease, but the gut is a target organ in S. mansoni, S. japonicum, S. mekongi, and S. intercalatum infections. These trematodes are endemic in Africa, Asia, and parts of the Americas. In the United States, infected patients are often immigrants, travelers, or persons who have worked abroad. Humans become infected by exposure to contaminated water.
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Lamps, L.W. (2009). Schistosomiasis. In: Surgical Pathology of the Gastrointestinal System: Bacterial, Fungal, Viral, and Parasitic Infections. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0861-2_35
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