The acute schistosomiasis is the toxemic disease that follow the
Schistosoma cercariae active penetration trough screen in the
immunologicaly naive vertebrate host.The clinical picture starts two to
eight weeks after the first contact with the contaminated water.
Susceptible patients present a syndrome comprising fever, diarrhea,
toxemia and hepatosplenomegaly. Diagnosis is based on epidemiological
and clinical features, presence of Schistosoma eggs in the feces,
enlargement of abdominal lymph nodes by ultrasonography and by
detection of high antibodies levels against the antigen keyhole limpet
haemocyanin. Different rates of cure have been observed with specific
medication and for the most severe clinical presentations the use of
steroids reduces the systemic and allergic manifestations