Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Aug 19;24(1):839.
doi: 10.1186/s12879-024-09732-z.

Detection of male genital schistosomiasis (MGS) associated with human, zoonotic and hybrid schistosomes in Southern Malawi

Sekeleghe Kayuni  1   2   3 , Lucas Cunningham  4 , Bright Mainga  5   6 , Dingase Kumwenda  5   7 , David Lally Jnr  5 , Priscilla Chammudzi  5 , Donales Kapira  5 , Gladys Namacha  5 , Alice Chisale  5 , Tereza Nchembe  5 , Louis Kinley  5   8 , Ephraim Chibwana  5   8 , Bessie Ntaba  5 , Gilbert Chapweteka  9 , Waleke Khumalo  9 , Henry Chibowa  10 , Victor Kumfunda  10 , Alexandra Juhasz  4   11 , Sam Jones  4 , John Archer  4 , Angus M O'Ferrall  4 , Sarah Rollason  12 , John Chiphwanya  13 , Peter Makaula  5 , E James LaCourse  4 , Janelisa Musaya #  5   14 , J Russell Stothard #  4
Affiliations

Detection of male genital schistosomiasis (MGS) associated with human, zoonotic and hybrid schistosomes in Southern Malawi

Sekeleghe Kayuni et al. BMC Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Male Genital Schistosomiasis (MGS) remains an often-overlooked chronic sequela of urogenital schistosomiasis in endemic areas of sub-Saharan Africa. As part of a 2-year longitudinal study on Hybridization of UroGenital Schistosomiasis (HUGS) in Malawi, a MGS sub-study was conducted to assess whether hybrid schistosomes were incriminated.

Methods: During recruitment, demographic, health and socio-economic data were collected through individual questionnaire interviews in Mthawira community from Nsanje District along Shire River and Samama community from Mangochi District along Lake Malawi shoreline. Urine and semen samples were collected and analysed to determine the identity of schistosome infection. Urine filtration and microscopy, direct microscopy of semen and its sediments (after centrifugation) were performed. Thereafter, the sediments were examined by molecular DNA analysis with a novel two-tube real-time PCR assay. The participants were also screened for Human papilloma virus (HPV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Results: Twenty-two men were recruited for the sub-study, 8 in Nsanje District and 14 in Mangochi District, with a median age of 22.0 years. By microscopy, ten (45.7%) participants had Schistosoma ova in their urine, 11 (50.0%) in semen while 16 (72.7%) were positive by real-time PCR. One participant had both S. haematobium and S. mattheei ova in his semen, three showed symptoms, and one had a mixed infection of S. mansoni and possible S. haematobium-S. mattheei hybrid. Twelve men had detectable high-risk HPV serotypes 16, 18 and others while six had Trichomonas vaginalis and other STIs.

Conclusion: Zoonotic and hybrid schistosomes can cause MGS similar to human schistosomes, which can be co-infected with HPV and STIs, thereby posing a new challenge in diagnosis, management and control measures in resource poor settings. Increased awareness of these infections among local communities and primary healthcare workers and improvement of disease management are needed and advocated.

Keywords: Schistosoma haematobium; Schistosoma mattheei; Lake Malawi; Semen; Shire River; Urogenital schistosomiasis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Map showing two study communities around Samama School in Mangochi District and Mthawira School in Nsanje District of Southern Malawi where participates came from
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Schistosome eggs observed in samples submitted by the study participants: 2A shows urine samples; 2B shows multiple Schistosoma haematobium eggs and one odd Schistosoma egg in urine samples; 2C shows Schistosoma haematobium egg observed in semen sample; and 2D shows Schistosoma mattheei egg in semen sample. (Photo images courtesy of Professor JR Stothard, Dr Sekeleghe Kayuni and Mr Bright Mainga)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. McManus DP, Dunne DW, Sacko M, Utzinger J, Vennervald BJ, Zhou XN, Schistosomiasis. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2018;4(1):13. 10.1038/s41572-018-0013-8 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bustinduy AL, Randriansolo B, Sturt AS, Kayuni SA, Leutscher PD, Webster BL, et al. An update on female and male genital schistosomiasis and a call to integrate efforts to escalate diagnosis, treatment and awareness in endemic and non-endemic settings: the time is now. Adv Parasitol. 2022;115:1–44. 10.1016/bs.apar.2021.12.003 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Madden F, TWO, RARE MANIFESTATIONS OF BILHARZIOSIS. Lancet. 1911;178(4593):754–5.10.1016/S0140-6736(00)51898-4 - DOI
    1. Mabey D, Gill GG, Parry E, Weber MW, Whitty CJ, Louis J et al. Principles of medicine in Africa. 2014.
    1. Farrar J, Hotez PJ, Junghanss T, Kang G, Lalloo D, White NJ et al. Manson’s Tropical Diseases E-Book: Elsevier health sciences; 2023.

LinkOut - more resources