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Exposure, infection and immune responses to Schistosoma haematobium in young children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2000

M. E. J. WOOLHOUSE
Affiliation:
Centre for Veterinary Tropical Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Scotland
F. MUTAPI
Affiliation:
Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
P. D. NDHLOVU
Affiliation:
Blair Research Laboratory, Harare, Zimbabwe
S. K. CHANDIWANA
Affiliation:
Blair Research Laboratory, Harare, Zimbabwe
P. HAGAN
Affiliation:
Division of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland

Abstract

Behavioural, parasitological and immunological data were obtained from 48 children up to 6 years old, resident in a Schistosoma haematobium endemic area in Zimbabwe. The children averaged more than 1 contact with infective water bodies every 3 days and all showed immunological evidence of exposure (an anti-cercarial and/or anti-egg antibody response). IgM was the dominant isotype and appeared in the youngest children, followed by IgA, IgE and IgG3. However, only 38 children showed evidence of infection (an anti-egg response or eggs in urine) and only 14 were excreting eggs. The best estimates from these data are that less than 1 in 100 contacts result in infection and less than 1 in 1000 result in egg output. This suggests that there may be substantial attrition of invading cercaria even in naïve individuals.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
2000 Cambridge University Press

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