Evaluation of a novel rapid diagnostic test for Schistosoma haematobium based on the detection of human immunoglobulins bound to filtered Schistosoma haematobium eggs

Schistosoma haematobium is the most prevalent of the six Schistosoma species that infect humans. The other five Schistosoma species — S. mansoni, S. japonicum, S. mekongi, S. guineensis and S. intercalatum — generally cause gastrointestinal pathology, whereas S. haematobium causes genitourinary disease (WHO 2012). Schistosomiasis is endemic in Africa with hundreds of millions of people at risk for disease and millions affected (Gryseels et al. 2006; Utzinger et al. 2009). Among human parasitic diseases, schistosomiasis is second only to malaria in terms of socioeconomic and public health consequences (Gryseels et al. 2006). S. haematobium eggs are highly immunogenic and cause the majority of the disease’s morbidity and mortality (Gryseels et al. 2006). The eggs can cause haematuria, calcified bladder, fibrosis of the neck of the bladder, hydroureter, hydronephrosis and bladder cancer (Gryseels et al. 2006). S. haematobium eggs can be found in both the human male and female reproductive organs, and people with mild worm burdens can have minimal or no symptoms (Gryseels et al. 2006). According to the European Association of Urology (EAU), a light S. haematobium infection is defined as 100 eggs/10 ml urine, while a severe infection is 400 eggs/10 ml (Bichler et al. 2006). WHO classifies a light infection as 50 eggs/10 ml urine and a heavy infection as 50 or more eggs/10 ml (WHO 2010). Schistosoma haematobium eggs are excreted in the urine covered in human IgM and IgG (Koech et al. 1984). Urine from people infected with S. haematobium have protein precipitates containing IgG, IgM, IgA, IgE © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd