Schistosomiasis: from established diagnostic assays to emerging micro/nanotechnology-based rapid field testing for clinical management and epidemiology

• Published in: Precision nanomedicine Vol. 3; no. 1; pp. 439 - 458
• Main Authors: Nigo, Maurice Mutro, Salieb-Beugelaar, Georgette, Battegay, Manuel, Odermatt, Peter, Hunziker, Patrick
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Andover House Inc 2020
• ISSN: 2639-9431; 2639-9431
• DOI: 10.33218/prnano3(1).191205.1

Schistosomiasis is a neglected invasive worm disease with a huge disease burden in developing countries, particularly in children, and is seen increasingly in non-endemic regions through transfer by travellers, expatriates, and refugees. Undetected and untreated infections may be responsible for the persistence of transmission. Rapid and accurate diagnosis is the key to treatment and control. So far, parasitological detection methods remain the cornerstone of Schistosoma infection diagnosis in endemic regions, but conventional tests have limited sensitivity, in particular in low-grade infection. Recent advances contribute to improved detection in clinical and field settings. The recent progress in micro- and nanotechnologies opens a road by enabling the design of new miniaturized point-of-care devices and analytical platforms, which can be used for the rapid detection of these infections. This review starts with an overview of currently available laboratory tests and their performance and then discusses emerging rapid and micro/nanotechnologies-based tools. The epidemiological and clinical setting of testing is then discussed as an important determinant for the selection of the best analytical strategy in patients suspected to suffer from Schistosoma infection. Finally, it discusses the potential role of advanced technologies in the setting near to disease eradication is examined.