bilharziasis

Thân thiện

A doctor examines a patient for signs of bilharziasis.

Definition

Noun: 1. A parasitic disease: Bilharziasis is an infectious disease caused by parasitic flatworms (trematodes) of the genus Schistosoma. The infection is acquired when larval forms of the parasite, released by freshwater snails, penetrate human skin during contact with infested water. 2. A condition with varied symptoms: The disease is characterized by a variety of symptoms that depend on which organs are affected by the adult worms and their eggs. Common manifestations include abdominal pain, diarrhea, blood in urine or stool, and organ damage.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The public health campaign focused on preventing bilharziasis in communities near the river.
  • Chronic bilharziasis can lead to severe liver and spleen complications.
  • A simple urine test can diagnose this form of bilharziasis.

Advanced Usage

• "Intestinal bilharziasis": Refers specifically to infection by species like or , primarily affecting the intestines and liver.
• "Urogenital bilharziasis": Refers specifically to infection by , which affects the urinary tract and genitals.

Variants and Related Words

• Schistosomiasis (n): The more common technical synonym for bilharziasis. The two terms are used interchangeably in medical contexts.
• Bilharzial (adj): Relating to or affected by bilharziasis.
  • The patient showed signs of bilharzial fibrosis in the bladder.

Synonyms

• Schistosomiasis
• Snail fever (a common, non-technical name)

Notes on Different Meanings

The word bilharziasis has only one primary meaning as a medical term for a specific parasitic disease. It is named after the German physician Theodor Bilharz, who discovered the causative parasite.

Học thuật

Noun

1. an infestation with or a resulting infection caused by a parasite of the genus Schistosoma; common in the tropics and Far East; symptoms depend on the part of the body infected

Từ đồng nghĩa

• schistosomiasis
• bilharzia