Schistosoma+mansoni

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Platyhelminthes Class: Trenatida Order: Strigeidida Genus: Schistosoma Species: Schistosoma mansoni

OVERVIEW The Schistosoma mansoni is a significant parasite of humans. a type parasite that is one of the major agents of the disease schistosomiasis (shis-tuh-soh-mahy-uh-sis). Schistosomiasis is not only a tongue-twister, it is also a type of infection that involves fever, chills, lymph node enlargement, and liver and spleen enlargement. But since S. Mansoni is a type of intestinal schistosomiasis, symptoms include abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. A male S. mansoni is approximately 1 cm long and is 0.1 cm wide, which is pretty small, and hard to see. It is white, and has two suckers at it's anterior end.These suckers have small thorns in their inner part as well as in the buttons around them. The external part of the worm is very insect-like. It is composed of a double bilayer, which is continually renewed by shedding. * the male S. mansoni also has around 6 to 9 testicles... Pretty useful. The female S. mansoni is slightly longer than its male version. It has a cylindrical body around 1.2 to 1.6 cm long by 0.016 cm wide. These females are darker due to the presence of a pigment (hemozoin) in its digestive tube. A elongated and slightly lobulated ovary can be seen on the anterior portion of the body. Eggs can be found in the uterine tube. (Up to four eggs can be found at once!)

The life cycle consists of the RELEASE, PENETRATION, CIRCULATION and PRODUCTION. These four actions are basically what the whole life of the S. mansoni is about.

DISEASE S.mansoni's main trait is it's ability to live off the host and causing the infection named schistosomiasis. Having this infection can leave the host in a great deal of pain especially since S. mansoni is a type of intestinal schistosomiasis leading to stomach pains and bloody diarrhea. I would love to show a picture of this, but I'll refrain from doing so. The best treatment to schistosomiasis is to avoid getting it in the first place. Since S. mansoni likes to live in snails in areas of water, it would be best if you avoid swimming or bathing in contaminated or potentially contaminated water. If you have already aquired the parasite, the best way is to take the drug Praziquantel which basically kills the worms.

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