Rise of tropical parasite makes swimming in southern Europe increasingly risky
The risk of schistosomiasis, a tropical infectious disease, will rise sharply over the next century, according to research by KU Leuven.
The rise of a parasitic flatworm will greatly increase the risk of schistosomiasis over the next century. Due to climate change, freshwater snails, which transmit the parasite, will be able to survive in several southern European countries. Schistosomiasis has been occurring on the French island of Corsica since 2013. More recently, the disease surfaced in Almeria, Spain.
In the KU Leuven study, carried out with the Africa Museum and the University of Copenhagen, the researchers examined the maximum and minimum temperatures in which freshwater snails can survive. That data was then combined with models predicting the European climate over the next century, allowing the future distribution of the snail to be estimated.
"We found that the snails can easily adapt to new conditions. As a result, they can easily colonise new areas, such as Europe"
The analysis showed that the climate in large parts of Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Greece will be suitable for freshwater snails to survive over the next century. "We found that the snails can easily adapt to new conditions," says researcher Tim Maes of KU Leuven. "As a result, they can easily colonise new areas, such as Europe."
Schistosomiasis is the second most common infectious disease after malaria, with more than 200 million infections worldwide each year. People become infected by bathing or swimming in infected freshwater bodies such as rivers, ponds and lakes. Typical symptoms include rashes, anaemia, severe abdominal pain and blood in urine or stools. Untreated, the disease can also lead to infertility, bladder cancer, liver fibrosis or growth and learning disabilities in young children.
The researchers do not expect the snails to survive in Belgium but call for vigilance.
#FlandersNewsService | A boy dives into a lake on a hot summer day in Madrid © PHOTO BRU GARCIA / AFP
