Applied and basic research on the epidemiology, morbidity, and immunology of schistosomiasis in fishing communities on Lake Albert, Uganda

• Published in: Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Vol. 100; no. 3; pp. 216 - 223
• Main Authors: Dunne, David W., Vennervald, Birgitte J., Booth, Mark, Joseph, Sarah, Fitzsimmons, Colin M., Cahen, Pierre, Sturrock, Robert F., Ouma, John H., Mwatha, Joseph K., Kimani, Gachuhi, Kariuki, H. Curtis, Kazibwe, Francis, Tukahebwa, Edridah, Kabatereine, Narcis B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2006; Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Anthelmintics - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Cohort Studies; Control; Diseases caused by trematodes; Drug Resistance; Female; Fisheries; Fresh Water; Helminthic diseases; Humans; Immunology; Infectious diseases; Liver Cirrhosis - epidemiology; Liver Cirrhosis - parasitology; Male; Medical sciences; Morbidity; Parasitic diseases; Praziquantel; Praziquantel - therapeutic use; Prevalence; Schistosoma mansoni - immunology; Schistosomiases; Schistosomiasis mansoni; Schistosomiasis mansoni - complications; Schistosomiasis mansoni - epidemiology; Schistosomiasis mansoni - immunology; Schistosomiasis mansoni - prevention & control; Uganda; Uganda - epidemiology; East African Lakes; Uganda; Lake Albert; Africa; Schistosomiasis mansoni; Uganda; Control; Immunology; Praziquantel; Morbidity; Human; Isoquinoline derivatives; Anthelmintic; Trematode disease; Parasitosis; Helminthiasis; Epidemiology; Infection; Schistosomiasis; Treatment; Parasiticide; Tropical medicine
• ISSN: 0035-9203; 1878-3503
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trstmh.2005.03.016

We report multidisciplinary studies on schistosomiasis which have been ongoing in the fishing communities of Piida, Booma, Bugoigo and Walakuba, on Lake Albert, Uganda, since 1996. Schistosomiasis is the major health problem in this area, with high infection intensities and prevalence. In addition to generating basic data on the epidemiology, morbidity and immunology of human schistosomiasis, this research programme is providing important descriptive and methodological information, and has contributed to the increase in operational capacity within Uganda in recent years. Such information and operational capacity are needed to facilitate much needed schistosomiasis control programmes, such as the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative that was launched in Uganda in 2003.