Current trends in the laboratory diagnosis of schistosomiasis infection
Umar Asiya Imam1, Aliyu Bazza Sirajo1 and *Emmanuel Ifeanyi Obeagu2
1Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria.
2Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Kampala International University, Uganda.
*Corresponding author:Emmanuel Ifeanyi Obeagu, Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Kampala International University, Uganda. emmanuelobeagu@yahoo.com, obeagu.emmanuel@kiu.ac.ug 0000-0002-4538-0161
ABSTRACT
Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects about 290 million patients worldwide. Children aged between 5 and 14 years represent 45.8% of the affected patients, in addition, schistosomiasis has been reported in Schistosoma-free areas, mostly because of tourism and immigration from endemic countries. Intestinal schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma mansoni is mainly diagnosed via direct stool examination for egg detection. Immunological methods are favoured for disease monitoring and preliminary checking for communities in areas with low infection rates, and for patients with light and chronic infections where parasitological tests are negative. PCR-based diagnostic techniques are more sensitive, but expensive. Tegument proteins and miRNAs are promising markers for diagnosis of schistosomiasis.
Keywords: Schistosomiasis, Diagnosis and current trends
CITE AS: Umar Asiya Imam, Aliyu Bazza Sirajo and Emmanuel Ifeanyi Obeagu (2024). Current trends in the laboratory diagnosis of schistosomiasis infection. NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN MEDICAL SCIENCES,5(1):8-19.https://doi.org/10.59298/NIJRMS/2024/51.819.1400