Treatment

Treatment
The main treatment for schistosomiasis is Praziquantel (PZQ). The number of tablets taken is dependent on the weight of the patient, and a dose pole has been developed to help judge the amount of tablets needed without having to weigh everyone. Mass drug administration (MDA) is often carried out within schools or communities as part of treatment/control programmes. As praziquantel is only effective against adult worms, timing of treatment may needs to be considered. Currently, no vaccine is available for schistosomiasis.

Left- operating a pitchford funnel, used to process stool samples to collect eggs from patients infected with Schistosoma mansoni, below, administering treament with praziquantel, with a WHO standard praziquantel dose pole shown to the left