Abstract
Like soil-transmitted helminth infections, schistosomiasis is an important neglected tropical disease (NTD) related to poverty with a major impact on public health in developing countries. Diagnosis of active infection is crucial for surveillance of controlled or post-elimination schistosomiasis areas. In addition, the use of conventional diagnostic tools in non-exposed populations (such as travelers) results in misdiagnoses in the prepatent period of infection. Also, the accuracy of standard tests applied in low-endemicity areas (LEAs) decreases after several rounds of treatment. We aimed to determine whether it would be necessary to replace schistosomiasis conventional diagnostic tests such as parasitological methods in LEAs. Also, we evaluate the use of new tools in non-endemic areas. Reliable, cheap and easy-to-use diagnostic tools are needed to respond to the demands of a new era of elimination and eradication of schistosomiasis. To this end, molecular diagnosis—including nucleic acid-based assays (loop-mediated isothermal amplification, polymerase chain reaction) and circulating cathodic and anodic antigen detection tests have become promising strategies. In this review, we attempt to address the use of alternative diagnostic tests for active infection detection and drug-monitoring after specific schistosomiasis treatment.
Highlights
The World Health Organization (WHO) set a high standard: eliminating schistosomiasis until the end of the decade
The results showed that the number of individuals with no egg detection could not be assessed by traditional methods, diagnosis of “real” active schistosomiasis became an issue
The results suggest that a upconverting phosphor (UCP)-lateral flow (LF) CAA serum assay would be a reliable test for diagnosing light infections in non-endemic settings [62]
Summary
The World Health Organization (WHO) set a high standard: eliminating schistosomiasis until the end of the decade. Endemic countries would ensure the provision of therapies, being WHO task to elaborate a procedure to evaluate the interruption of schistosomiasis transmission. To achieve this goal, the WHO established partnerships with non-profit organizations participating in initiatives that hopefully will allow morbidity control of schistosomiasis in areas of Sub-Saharan Africa [1,2,3,4]. Low endemic areas (LEA) try to achieve this goal: Schistosomiasis Diagnosis Using Molecular Approaches sustainable schistosomiasis control and interruption of transmission in the nearby future [3]. Since even light infections bear a reasonable chance of morbidity, it is essential to increase efforts toward eliminating schistosomiasis from LEAs
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