Latest news with #snailfever
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Urgent warning over outbreak of deadly 'snail fever' parasite in two popular holiday hotspots
A gruesome worm that lives in freshwater snails but can infect humans is on the rise in European holiday hotspots, experts have warned. Separate data, seen by MailOnline, also shows the number of British travellers who have brought the parasite home with them has reached a record high. The worm, a type of blood fluke, burrows through human skin where it then releases thousands of eggs that can spread through the body infecting vital organs, resulting in a disease called schistosomiasis. Human infections typically happen when travellers come into contact with the parasite when swimming in fresh water environments. Also called snail fever or bilharzia schistosomiasis, the infection can cause infertility, blindness, severe organ damage, and even bladder cancer if left untreated. Scientists speaking at Wellcome Trust in London last week said while the disease was once confined to sub-Saharan Africa, it is now spreading in parts of southern Europe. Outbreaks have been reported in the freshwater lakes and rivers of European holiday favourites like Spain, Portugal and parts of France. Official UK Government data shows an increasing number of British travellers are also being infected. The UK Health Security Agency recorded 123 cases in Britain in 2022, more than double the number tallied in the previous year and nearly triple the number recorded before the Covid pandemic. Bonnie Webster, principal researcher at the Schistosome Snail Resource at the Natural History Museum, said the worm is believed to have reached Europe from African travellers. 'It was people travelling from Africa, particularly Senegal, who imported the parasites,' she said according to The Telegraph. 'Once one snail is infected, they infect a whole population of snails which then infect a whole population of humans.' Experts believe importation by tourists, combined with climate change making European waters warmer and more hospitable for the worms, are behind a rise in infections on the continent. More than 120 cases have been identified in the French island of Corsica since 2014, with the worms believed to be carried there by individuals from Senegal. Sporadic outbreaks have also been reported in Spain and Portugal. However, as snail fever can be mistaken for host of other conditions, and sometimes cause no symptoms, many more people may be infected than official figures suggest. Infected humans can contaminate freshwater sources with the worm by shedding eggs in their urine and faeces. From there the worm infects a freshwater snail, where it grows to a size that enables it to infect a human. According to the World Health Organisation, more than 250million people were infected with schistosomiasis in 2021, with 90 per cent of cases in Africa. In total, snail fever is estimated to kill 12,000 people a year due to the complications it causes. Infections can initially manifest as an itchy bumpy rash, colloquially known as 'swimmers itch'. As the illness develops, symptoms include fever, more rashes, a cough, diarrhoea, muscle and joint pain, stomach ache and a general sense of being unwell. These symptoms aren't caused by the worm itself but rather the body's reaction to it releasing thousands upon thousands of eggs. Experts say snail fever is often misdiagnosed at this stage as the result of some other infection. While the disease generally clears up on its own, patients are still at risk of long term health complications like organ damage as the parasite remains in their body. In rare cases, the eggs can reach the brain and spinal cord where it can cause a host of serious health problems. The NHS advises people who experience signs of infection, and who have been in an area where the worms are found, to contact their GP for advice. Treatment for snail fever involves taking a drug called praziquantel which kills the worms. People can reduce their risk of snail fever by avoiding swimming or paddling in fresh water as the worms cannot survive in the sea or in chlorinated swimming pools.
The Sun
09-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Parasitic SNAILS carrying killer bug found spreading in EU holiday hotspots, scientists warn
A POTENTIALLY deadly parasite carried by snails is creeping into popular European holiday spots, experts have warned. The bug behind the tropical disease schistosomiasis - also known as snail fever and bilharzia - is now being found in beautiful rivers and lakes across the Mediterranean. 3 3 Experts think a combination of tourism and warmer temperatures in Europe could be to blame for the rise in infections. The disease, caused by parasitic worms that live inside freshwater snails, can silently infect people who swim, paddle or wash in contaminated water. The fork-shaped grub burrows through human skin where it lays thousands of eggs. These eggs can lodge in organs and, if left untreated, cause infertility, blindness, severe organ damage, and even bladder cancer. In children, repeated infections can even lead to stunted growth. 'It was people travelling from Africa, particularly Senegal, who imported the parasites," said Bonnie Webster, Principal Researcher at the Schistosome Snail Resource at the Natural History Museum. "When it happens, it's hard to control," she added, according to The Telegraph. "Once one snail is infected, they infect a whole population of snails which then infect a whole population of humans." The alarm was raised at the Wellcome Trust in London last week, as scientists said the disease, once mostly confined to sub-Saharan Africa, is now spreading in parts of southern Europe. More than 120 cases have been confirmed in Corsica since 2014, with evidence suggesting the worms were brought over by infected individuals from Senegal. These individuals are believed to have shed the parasite in their pee, infecting rivers where local snails then became riddled with the bug. Since then, sporadic outbreaks have cropped up in Spain and Portugal, with fears that warming weather and human activity could turn more idyllic waterways into danger zones. Schistosomiasis is estimated to affect 240 million people worldwide, with 90 per cent of cases in Africa. Every year, the disease kills between 15,000 and 20,000 people. Scientists are growing concerned that changes in weather patterns is making the problem worse. 'Climate change will cause huge changes in transmission which need to be understood,' said Bonnie. 'Some areas will become drier and other areas will become flooded creating new water bodies. 3 "This will lead to snails changing where they can be found and cause the prevalence of schistosomiasis to increase and spread leading to outbreaks in new locations.' While the threat is rising in Europe, the brunt of the disease still falls on poor, rural communities in Africa, especially among farmers, fishermen and women who wash clothes or collect water from infested rivers. Children are also at high risk due to poor hygiene and frequent water contact. The disease comes in two main forms: urogenital and intestinal. Urogenital affects the bladder and reproductive organs, while the intestinal form targets the gut, causing pain, diarrhoea and bleeding. First local case in Europe Europe's first schistosomiasis outbreak was in Portugal in the 1920s, lasting an astonishing 50 years, after travellers brought it over from Angola. More recently, the first locally acquired case in Europe was noted in 2013, when a 12-year-old German boy became infected while swimming in Corsica's scenic Cavu River, according to reports. Over 100 swimmers later tested positive. The last known case in Corsica was in 2019 - but experts warn dozens more could be infected without knowing, as symptoms may not show for years. There is a treatment, praziquantel, a drug that paralyses the worms, but access is critically limited in the countries hit hardest. The 5 'mistakes' putting you at risk of worms.. Dr Angad Dhillon, a consultant gastroenterologist, is an expert when it comes to all things worms. He highlighted five things that could be putting you at risk - one of which involves a common fruit and veg mistake. Not washing your hands properly after using the toilet or changing nappies. Scratching your anal area (common with threadworms) and then touching surfaces or food without washing hands. Walking barefoot in areas where the soil might be contaminated (a risk for hookworms, more common abroad). Eating undercooked meat or fish (a risk for tapeworms) or unwashed fruits and vegetables. Not treating everyone in the household at the same time, leading to re-infection. The main ways people get parasitic worms, said Dr Dhillon, include swallowing microscopic eggs, often through hand-to-mouth contact - for example, touching contaminated surfaces or scratching the anal area. "Also, walking barefoot on soil contaminated with worm larvae (hookworms)," he added. "You cannot easily see hookworm larvae in soil with the naked eye as they're microscopic organisms. "Inhaling dust that contains worm eggs is another way people get parasitic worms - for example, when you shake contaminated bedding." While the thought of having a worm infection is enough to make anyone's stomach churn, infections can usually be easily treated. Dr Dhillon advised: "Mild cases of threadworms may eventually clear up, but because re-infection is common, treatment is usually needed. "Dr Dhillon added: "Roundworms, tapeworms, and other parasites rarely go away without medication and can cause long-term health issues if left untreated. "It's always best to seek treatment to avoid spreading the infection and to prevent complications."
