Are there interactions between schistosomes and intestinal nematodes?

Abstract

A survey for intestinal parasites was carried out in a homogenous rice cultivation area, in which people had equal opportunities of acquiring the local endemic helminthiases, including schistosomiasis mansoni. The numbers of Schistosoma mansoni eggs excreted in faeces were counted. Infections with S. mansoni, Ascaris lumbricoides, ancylostomes and Trichuris trichiura were not randomly distributed, but were correlated, depending on the species of worms present. The S. mansoni egg counts were positively correlated with ancylostome infection but inversely correlated with A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura. Patients with schistosomiasis associated with 2 other helminth infections excreted more S. mansoni eggs than the patients with S. mansoni plus only one other helminth infection.