schistosomiasis
noun
schis·to·so·mi·a·sis
ˌshi-stə-sō-ˈmī-ə-səs 
plural schistosomiases
ˌshi-stə-sō-ˈmī-ə-ˌsēz
: infestation with or disease caused by schistosomes
specifically
: a severe endemic disease of humans in Africa and parts of Asia and South America that is contracted when cercariae released into fresh water (such as a river) by a snail intermediate host penetrate the skin and that is marked especially by blood loss and tissue damage
called also snail fever
Examples of schistosomiasis in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Until recently, Oumou spent her days on the banks of the Niger River protecting children against schistosomiasis.
—
Angela Weaver, Baltimore Sun, 12 June 2025
In the nearly four decades since its launch in 1987, similar public-private partnerships have emerged to treat trachoma, which causes blindness; lymphatic filariasis (or elephantiasis); schistosomiasis, a parasitic infection that can cause liver damage; and intestinal parasites in children.
—Patrick Adams, NPR, 5 June 2025
Your body responds to a schistosomiasis infection by mounting an immune response involving several types of immune cells, as well as antibodies specifically targeting molecules secreted by or present on the worm and eggs.
—Trirupa Chakraborty, Discover Magazine, 25 Oct. 2024
Besides democracy promotion and conflict resolution, the center has also long been involved in several global health programs, including fighting Guinea worm, river blindness, trachoma, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis and malaria.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 29 Dec. 2024
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Angela Weaver, Baltimore Sun, 12 June 2025
In the nearly four decades since its launch in 1987, similar public-private partnerships have emerged to treat trachoma, which causes blindness; lymphatic filariasis (or elephantiasis); schistosomiasis, a parasitic infection that can cause liver damage; and intestinal parasites in children.
—Patrick Adams, NPR, 5 June 2025
Your body responds to a schistosomiasis infection by mounting an immune response involving several types of immune cells, as well as antibodies specifically targeting molecules secreted by or present on the worm and eggs.
—Trirupa Chakraborty, Discover Magazine, 25 Oct. 2024
Besides democracy promotion and conflict resolution, the center has also long been involved in several global health programs, including fighting Guinea worm, river blindness, trachoma, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis and malaria.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 29 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for schistosomiasis
Cite this Entry
“Schistosomiasis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/schistosomiasis. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
schistosomiasis
noun
schis·to·so·mi·a·sis
ˌshis-tə-sō-ˈmī-ə-səs
ˌskis-
ˌskis-
plural schistosomiases
-ˌsēz
: infestation with or disease caused by schistosomes
specifically
: a severe endemic disease of humans in much of Africa and parts of Asia and South America that is caused by any of three trematode worms of the genus Schistosoma (S. haematobium, S. mansoni, and S. japonicum) which multiply in snail intermediate hosts and are disseminated into freshwaters as furcocercous cercariae that bore into the body when it is in contact with infested water, migrate through the tissues to the visceral venous plexuses (as of the bladder or intestine) where they attain maturity, and cause much of their injury through hemorrhage and damage to tissues resulting from the passage of the usually spiny eggs to the intestine and bladder whence they pass out to start a new cycle of infection in snail hosts
called also bilharzia, bilharziasis, snail fever
compare swimmer's itchLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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