Harmful parasites carried by snails may be spreading, in part due to human-caused climate change, according to reporting from The Telegraph in May. Marginalized populations, including women and girls, may suffer disproportionately from increased prevalence.
What's happening?
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic infection caused by snail-carried worms. Infection typically starts with making contact with the worms in freshwater, such as in a canal, river, or pond. Person-to-person transmission can continue when urine or feces containing the parasite's eggs contaminates a water source.
Symptoms — including fever, chills, coughing, and aches — can manifest within a couple of months, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chronic infections can lead to anemia, bloody stools, urinary problems, organ damage, and more.
Historically, 90% of the schistosomiasis cases requiring treatment have been located in Africa, but infections have also been documented in Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East. While the London-based outlet has reported more recent spreading in parts of Europe may be largely tourism- and migration-driven, researcher Bonnie Webster also told the publication that transmissions may emerge in further locations due to shifting weather patterns. Rising global temperatures are driving more frequent and more intense flooding events, causing snails to appear in new wet settings and increasing water contamination.
"Climate change will likely cause dramatic changes in transmission which need to be understood," Webster, who studies the disease at London's Natural History Museum, told The Telegraph. "Some areas will become drier and other areas will become flooded, creating new water bodies. 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."
Communities in low- and middle-income countries lacking sufficient sanitation infrastructure are already disproportionately impacted by this serious issue, and women and girls are additionally vulnerable to its effects.
Why is the parasite's spread concerning?
All people can become infected by these parasites, but one manifestation of the disease — female genital schistosomiasis, or FGS — can cause sexual, reproductive, and other health concerns for women and girls. Gendered labor dynamics can make this group additionally susceptible to infection through activities like washing laundry in contaminated water.
Unlimit Health says that around 56 million women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa are infected with FGS, which can go undiagnosed and, especially when misdiagnosed as a sexually transmitted infection or otherwise left untreated, can lead to bleeding, pelvic pain, ulcers, miscarriage, and infertility. It may also contribute to increased risks of HIV and cervical cancer.
Overall, schistosomiasis impacts hundreds of millions of people each year, resulting in up to 20,000 deaths annually, according to The Telegraph.
Unfortunately, as Webster said, "Once one snail is infected, they can infect a whole population of humans."
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While treatments exist, potential drug resistance and current medical shortages could hamper attempts to curtail infections. Experts relayed to The Telegraph that recent substantial cuts to the United States Agency for International Development may also stymie research and response efforts for neglected tropical diseases like schistosomiasis.
NTDs disproportionately impact marginalized populations. The World Health Organization says they affect over 1 billion people globally and that NTDs are "often related to environmental conditions." Of course, because of travel and climate change, many such infections may spread to more communities and farther regions.
The CDC notes that prevention includes clean-up of contaminated areas, implementation of sanitation systems, and avoiding swimming, wading, and washing in unsafe water. A number of these measures require funding.
Staying updated about how human-caused climate change can impact health and well-being everywhere can be key to organizing effective responses to rising global temperatures. Especially together in groups, friends and neighbors can make a difference by exploring these issues, raising awareness, supporting pro-environment policies, and taking on climate-conscious shifts at home to help address the extreme weather that imperils billions worldwide.
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