Real-time PCR demonstrates high prevalence of Schistosoma japonicum in the Philippines: implications for surveillance and control.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Philippines has a population of approximately 103 million people, of which 6.7 million live in schistosomiasis-endemic areas with 1.8 million people being at risk of infection with Schistosoma japonicum. Although the country-wide prevalence of schistosomiasis japonica in the Philippines is relatively low, the prevalence of schistosomiasis can be high, approaching 65% in some endemic areas. Of the currently available microscopy-based diagnostic techniques for detecting schistosome infections in the Philippines and elsewhere, most exhibit varying diagnostic performances, with the Kato-Katz (KK) method having particularly poor sensitivity for detecting low intensity infections. This suggests that the actual prevalence of schistosomiasis japonica may be much higher than

SUBMITTER: Gordon CA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4301913 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature