Schistosomiasis: when the water harbours worms
2009/9/25
Madagascar is home to a diversity of flora and fauna and is rich in water. But there lurks a dangerous enemy: parasitic flukes that cause the dreaded schistosomiasis in humans. Merck is supporting the battle against the parasites and so saving children from the serious illness.
© Merck
Infecting more than 200 million people, schistosomiasis remains a major public health problem
Infecting more than 200 million people, schistosomiasis remains a major public health problem
Some naturalists refer to Madagascar as the “sixth continent”. This fascinating island is situated in the Indian Ocean to the south-east of Africa, and has produced its very own flora and fauna thanks to its isolated location. Zoo visitors will be familiar with kattas, the small apes with striped tails — just one of hundreds of unique species.
The island’s tropical climate supports a rich diversity of life: Everything needed is there, but especially the most important elixir of life: “There’s a lot of water in Madagascar”, explains Dr. Juergen Knackmuss, Head of Public Affairs at Merck in Darmstadt, who has visited the country: “Wherever you go, there’s fresh water, lots of standing water. And where there is water, there are people. However, they live in simple huts without any modern infrastructure such as sanitary installations.” Water means life, enabling, for example, the very thirsty rice crops to be cultivated. However, in the water there lurks a dangerous enemy — a serious threat, especially for children.
The island’s tropical climate supports a rich diversity of life: Everything needed is there, but especially the most important elixir of life: “There’s a lot of water in Madagascar”, explains Dr. Juergen Knackmuss, Head of Public Affairs at Merck in Darmstadt, who has visited the country: “Wherever you go, there’s fresh water, lots of standing water. And where there is water, there are people. However, they live in simple huts without any modern infrastructure such as sanitary installations.” Water means life, enabling, for example, the very thirsty rice crops to be cultivated. However, in the water there lurks a dangerous enemy — a serious threat, especially for children.
Up to 300,000 people die from it each year.
Water is also home to the schistosomes, parasitic flukes that use a type of water snail as a host — but can also use humans. The cause of the condition schistosomiasis is the larva of these parasitic worms, which burrow under the skin of bathing or wading people. The parasites migrate to the portal vein, mature there, and spread throughout the body, attacking the liver, lungs, brain and intestines.
The victim suffers fever, weakness and anaemia. Children suffer from impaired growth and development. “They’re not only very ill, but they also lose out on many opportunities in life. The disease causes them to miss a lot of school, or makes them too weak to follow the teaching in the classroom. Many people become infected over and over again”, says Juergen Knackmuss. In the whole of sub-Saharan Africa, the disease claims between 200,000 and 300,000 lives a year.
The victim suffers fever, weakness and anaemia. Children suffer from impaired growth and development. “They’re not only very ill, but they also lose out on many opportunities in life. The disease causes them to miss a lot of school, or makes them too weak to follow the teaching in the classroom. Many people become infected over and over again”, says Juergen Knackmuss. In the whole of sub-Saharan Africa, the disease claims between 200,000 and 300,000 lives a year.
© Merck
Transmission of schistosomiasis
Transmission of schistosomiasis
The Merck specialist travelled to Madagascar to do something about this situation: Since 2006, the company has been supporting the global anti-schistosomiasis initiative set up by the World Health Organization (WHO). For ten years, the Darmstadt-based firm has been donating its drug “Cesol® 600”, whose active ingredient Praziquantel frequently kills the parasites the first time it is taken. 80 million US dollars — over €60 million — would be the market value of the 200 million tablets donated so far.
These tablets are manufactured in the Merck plant in Mexico City. 27 million children can be provided with the drugs, and over five million have already received them, in line with the plan drawn up by the WHO : “Praziquantel is the only effective and available treatment against all forms of the schistosome infection with just a few, temporary side effects”, says Dr. Lester Chitsulo, who is responsible for this area at WHO’s head office, “In the last 20 years, the treatment has been applied successfully in Brazil, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Morocco and Saudi Arabia.”
These tablets are manufactured in the Merck plant in Mexico City. 27 million children can be provided with the drugs, and over five million have already received them, in line with the plan drawn up by the WHO : “Praziquantel is the only effective and available treatment against all forms of the schistosome infection with just a few, temporary side effects”, says Dr. Lester Chitsulo, who is responsible for this area at WHO’s head office, “In the last 20 years, the treatment has been applied successfully in Brazil, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Morocco and Saudi Arabia.”
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