Gambia General Health Risks: Schistosomiasis

Infection is transmitted by snails living in fresh water such as lakes, rivers, streams and ponds in Africa, and some countries in Southeast Asia, South America, and the Caribbean.

Schistosomiasis risk is present in the whole country, including urban areas:

S. haematobium and S. mansoni are endemic along the Gambia River basin. Snail intermediate host for S. haematobium: Bulinus jousseaumei.

Risk of Schistosomiasis caused by:Schistosoma haematobium, Schistosoma mansoni

The main intermediate host snail is:Bulinus truncatus, Bulinus senegalensis, Biomphalaria pfeifferi, see text above for additional intermediate snail host.