Saudi Arabia 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 most of the country, except areas described:

Saudi Arabia has implemented Schistosomiasis control and elimination programs resulting in reduced prevalence of the disease. S. haematobium and S. mansoni has been reported throughout the country except in the regions of Eastern, Al-Qassim and Northern Borders. Additional snail intermediate hosts for S. haematobium: Bulinus beccarii and Bulinus wrighti.

Risk of Schistosomiasis caused by: Schistosoma haematobium, Schistosoma mansoni

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