Schistosomiasis Treatment: Effective Drugs, Alternatives, and What Works Best

When it comes to schistosomiasis treatment, a targeted therapy for a parasitic infection caused by blood flukes. Also known as bilharzia, it affects over 240 million people worldwide, mostly in tropical and subtropical regions with poor sanitation. The infection starts when larvae in contaminated water penetrate the skin, then grow into adult worms inside blood vessels. Left untreated, they lay eggs that damage the liver, intestines, bladder, and even the nervous system.

The cornerstone of schistosomiasis treatment, a targeted therapy for a parasitic infection caused by blood flukes. Also known as bilharzia, it affects over 240 million people worldwide, mostly in tropical and subtropical regions with poor sanitation. is praziquantel, a broad-spectrum antiparasitic drug that paralyzes and kills adult schistosome worms. It’s safe, cheap, and works in a single dose for most cases. The World Health Organization recommends it for mass drug administration in high-risk areas. But it doesn’t kill immature worms, so timing matters—treatment is most effective 4 to 6 weeks after exposure. Some patients need a second dose if they’re re-exposed or have heavy infections.

While praziquantel is the go-to, antiparasitic medication, drugs designed to eliminate parasitic worms and protozoa from the body options are limited. Oxamniquine is used in some regions for one species (Schistosoma mansoni), but it’s not effective against others. Research into new drugs is slow, and resistance is a growing concern. Meanwhile, people in affected areas often rely on community health workers for treatment, not hospitals. Prevention is just as important—clean water, sanitation, and avoiding contact with contaminated freshwater can stop transmission before it starts.

What you’ll find in the posts below isn’t a list of schistosomiasis treatments—because there’s really only one proven main drug. But you’ll see how other treatments for similar infections work, how drug interactions can mess with effectiveness, and how timing and dosing matter just as much as the medicine itself. You’ll also learn why some antibiotics and antifungals are studied alongside antiparasitics, and how side effects and patient compliance shape real-world outcomes. This isn’t just about one disease. It’s about understanding how treatment choices, drug timing, and resistance play out across parasitic and infectious diseases—and how small changes in care can make a big difference.