Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Schistosomiasis historical perspective
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Schistosomiasis is known as bilharzia or bilharziosis in many countries, after German physician Theodor Bilharz, who first described the cause of urinary schistosomiasis in 1851. The first doctor who described the entire disease cycle was Pirajá da Silva in 1908. It was a common cause of death for Ancient Egyptians in the Greco-Roman Period.
Historical Perspective
Historical Perspective
- In 1847, Japanese Doctor Y. Fujii described “Katayama fever” as a manifestation of acute schistosomiasis.
- 1851, Dr.Theodore Billharz, working in Egypt, identified the worms responsible for Schistosomiasis.[1]
- 1904, S. japonicum was identified in a housecat.
- In 1908, Dr Pirajá da Silva described the entire disease cycle for the first time.
- 1915, the snail was identified as an intermediate host for Schistosomiasis.[2]
References
References
- ↑ Strickland GT (2006). “Liver disease in Egypt: hepatitis C superseded schistosomiasis as a result of iatrogenic and biological factors”. Hepatology. 43 (5): 915–22. doi:10.1002/hep.21173. PMID 16628669.
- ↑ “Proceedings of the 13h Annual History of Medicine Days”, a medical historical paper from University of Calgary. March 2004.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] ; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Aditya Ganti M.B.B.S. [2]