Status of Schistosomiasis Elimination in the Caribbean Region

Hewitt, Reynold; Willingham, Arve Lee

doi:10.3390/tropicalmed4010024

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…In the Caribbean, here chronicled by Hewitt and Willingham [22], elimination of schistosomiasis appears achievable in the near term. Transmission has already been eliminated on three islands with six more awaiting official verification.…”

Section: Progress Vis-à-vis the Distribution Of Schistosomiasismentioning

confidence: 99%

Schistosomiasis Elimination: Beginning of the End or a Continued March on a Trodden Path

Bergquist¹,

Gray

2019

TropicalMed

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In spite of spectacular progress towards the goal of elimination of schistosomiasis, particularly in China but also in other areas, research gaps and outstanding issues remain. Although expectations of achieving elimination of this disease have never been greater, all constraints have not been swept aside. Indeed, there are some formidable obstacles, such as insufficient amounts of drugs to treat everybody and still limited use of high-sensitive diagnostic techniques, both for the definitive and the intermediate hosts, which indicate that prevalence is considerably underrated in well-controlled areas. Elimination will be difficult to achieve without a broad approach, including a stronger focus on transmission, better diagnostics and the establishment of a reliable survey system activating a rapid response when called for. Importantly, awareness of the crucial importance of transmission has been revived resulting in renewed interest in snail control together with more emphasis on health education and sanitation. The papers collected in this special issue entitled ‘Prospects for Schistosomiasis Elimination’ reflect these issues and we are particularly pleased to note that some also discuss the crucial question when to declare a country free of schistosomiasis and present techniques that together create an approach that can show unequivocally when interruption of transmission has been achieved.

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Section: Progress Vis-à-vis the Distribution Of Schistosomiasismentioning

confidence: 99%

Schistosomiasis Elimination: Beginning of the End or a Continued March on a Trodden Path

Bergquist¹,

Gray

2019

TropicalMed

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“…The endemic areas for S. mansoni and S. haematobium overlap to a great extent on the African continent and in the Middle East, but not everywhere. The former, the most abundant of the schistosome species, has also found an exclusive niche in the Northeast part of South America and on some of the Caribbean islands but are now disappearing from the latter, however this is not due to climate change [29]. Its distribution is supported by the broad geographic range of Biomphalaria spp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential Impact of Climate Change on Schistosomiasis: A Global Assessment Attempt

Yang

Bergquist²

2018

TropicalMed

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Based on an ensemble of global circulation models (GCMs), four representative concentration pathways (RCPs) and several ongoing and planned Coupled Model Intercomparison Projects (CMIPs), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that global, average temperatures will increase by at least 1.5 °C in the near future and more by the end of the century if greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions are not genuinely tempered. While the RCPs are indicative of various amounts of GHGs in the atmosphere the CMIPs are designed to improve the workings of the GCMs. We chose RCP4.5 which represented a medium GHG emission increase and CMIP5, the most recently completed CMIP phase. Combining this meteorological model with a biological counterpart model accounted for replication and survival of the snail intermediate host as well as maturation of the parasite stage inside the snail at different ambient temperatures. The potential geographical distribution of the three main schistosome species: Schistosoma japonicum, S. mansoni and S. haematobium was investigated with reference to their different transmission capabilities at the monthly mean temperature, the maximum temperature of the warmest month(s) and the minimum temperature of the coldest month(s). The set of six maps representing the predicted situations in 2021–2050 and 2071–2100 for each species mainly showed increased transmission areas for all three species but they also left room for potential shrinkages in certain areas.

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“…9,10 Studies from Antigua in the 1920s found approximately 18% of people were infected with S. mansoni in St. John Parish and a 1930s survey found 60% of people living in St. John Parish near Bendel's stream and Body Pond were infected. 4,9,11 These locations were sites where B. glabrata was also found. 9 The prevalence of S. mansoni in Antigua then declined over the course of the twentieth century.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Schistosoma mansoni Vector Snails in Antigua and Montserrat, with Snail-Related Considerations Pertinent to a Declaration of Elimination of Human Schistosomiasis

Laidemitt

Buddenborg

Lewis

et al. 2020

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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Investigations leading to a WHO-validated declaration of elimination of schistosomiasis transmission are contemplated for several countries, including Caribbean island nations. With assistance from the Pan American Health Organization, we undertook freshwater snail surveys in two such nations, Antigua and Barbuda, and Montserrat in September and October 2017. Historically, the transmission of Schistosoma mansoni supported by the Neotropical vector snail Biomphalaria glabrata occurred in both countries. Transmission on the islands is thought to have been interrupted by the treatment of infected people, improved sanitation, introduction of competitor snails, and on Montserrat with the eruption of the Soufrière volcano which decimated known B. glabrata habitats. Guided by the available literature and local expertise, we found Biomphalaria snails in seven of 15 and one of 14 localities on Antigua and Montserrat, respectively, most of which were identified anatomically and molecularly as Biomphalaria kuhniana. Two localities on Antigua harbored B. glabrata, but no schistosome infections in snails were found. For snail-related aspects of validation of elimination, there are needs to undertake basic local training in medical malacology, be guided by historical literature and recent human schistosomiasis surveys, improve and validate sampling protocols for aquatic habitats, enlist local expertise to efficiently find potential transmission sites, use both anatomical and molecular identifications of schistosomes or putative vector snail species found, if possible determine the susceptibility of recovered Biomphalaria spp. to S. mansoni, publish survey results, and provide museum vouchers of collected snails and parasites as part of the historical record.

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Status of Schistosomiasis Elimination in the Caribbean Region

Cited by 10 publications

References 46 publications

Schistosomiasis Elimination: Beginning of the End or a Continued March on a Trodden Path

Schistosomiasis Elimination: Beginning of the End or a Continued March on a Trodden Path

Potential Impact of Climate Change on Schistosomiasis: A Global Assessment Attempt

Schistosoma mansoni Vector Snails in Antigua and Montserrat, with Snail-Related Considerations Pertinent to a Declaration of Elimination of Human Schistosomiasis

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