schistosomiasis

noun schis·to·so·mi·a·sis \ ˌshi-stə-sō-ˈmī-ə-səs \

Definition of schistosomiasis

plural schistosomiases play \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 waters (such as rivers) by a snail intermediate host penetrate the skin and that is marked especially by blood loss and tissue damage — called also snail fever

Recent Examples of schistosomiasis from the Web

Afraid of malaria and schistosomiasis and tick bite fever.

— blair braverman, Condé Nast Traveler, "Dog Sledder Blair Braverman on Learning to Live With Lions and Pythons," 8 Mar. 2018
Other schistosomiasis researchers were critical of this point.

— heather murphy, New York Times, "They’re Hosting Parasitic Worms in Their Bodies to Help Treat a Neglected Disease," 1 Mar. 2018
Dams have also caused an increase in schistosomiasis in many countries, because snails live in the reservoirs and irrigation channels.

— erik stokstad, Science | AAAS, "Pesticides could hike risk of catching a parasitic worm," 14 July 2017
Schistosomiasis is a debilitating disease caused by a parasitic flatworm.

— erik stokstad, Science | AAAS, "Pesticides could hike risk of catching a parasitic worm," 14 July 2017
Through his research and his work with diplomats and other international travelers, Dr. Wolfe became an authority on such exotic conditions as giardiasis and schistosomiasis, both of which are caused by parasites.

— matt schudel, Washington Post, "Martin Wolfe, doctor specializing in tropical and travel medicine, dies at 82," 17 June 2017
He has been wracked by malaria, schistosomiasis and dysentery, lost in Amazonian jungles, stranded in the New Guinea highlands, and held up at gun point during military coups in West Africa and Suriname.

— mark price, charlotteobserver, "NC ‘snake hunter’ who survived 12 deadly bites is killed - allegedly by his wife," 15 May 2017
King is already expanding his Robot Scientist fleet by producing Eve, which will autonomously design and screen drugs against malaria and schistosomiasis.

— lizzie buchen, WIRED, "Robot Makes Scientific Discovery All by Itself," 2 Apr. 2009
There are also ear, eye, nose and throat infections that can occur, and at beaches, skin parasites like flatworm — which causes schistosomiasis, commonly known as swimmer's itch — can be picked up from inland beaches.

— frank s. abderholden, Lake County News-Sun, "To swim or not to swim: Lake County inspectors check public beaches and pools," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'schistosomiasis.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of schistosomiasis

New Latin, from Schistosoma

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1906

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Medical Dictionary

schistosomiasis

noun schis·to·so·mi·a·sis \ ˌshis-tə-sō-ˈmī-ə-səs , ˌskis- \

medical Definition of schistosomiasis

plural schistosomiases play \-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 itch