I appreciate the request of Dr. Saaijman concerning symptoms of
schistosomiasis (forwarded by David Johnston). My personal experiences
with schistosomiasis indicates that infections may easily be overlooked,
when paying attention only to the typical symptoms. In the course of my
work with schistosome cercariae I accidentally got infected three times
with Schistosoma mansoni. In two cases the symptoms were exactly those
as described by Dr. Saaijman: feelings of lethargy, sleepiness,
drowsiness, and I add: a terrible loss of strenth. I could have treated
my first schistosomiasis long before I did it in fact, if I had
considered these symptoms.
Therefore, schisto-workers, think about a possible schistosomiasis, when
you need considerably more willpower to rise from your bed in the
morning than usual, when you need willpower to mobilize your strenth to
go up the stairs, or also when you have extraordinary problems to follow
lectures! However, be prepared, that you have to perform many
schisto-diagnoses with negative results, after descibing these symptoms
to your coworkers!
Wilfried Haas
Please remove "NOSPAMS" from e-mail address when replying personally
--
Wilfried Haas (Prof. Dr.)
Institut fuer Zoologie 1
Universitaet Erlangen-Nuernberg
Staudtstr. 5
D-91058 Erlangen
Germany
Tel. (x49)9131-858064
Fax (x49)9131-858040
e-mail: NOSPAMSwhaas at biologie.uni-erlangen.de
homepage: http://www.biologie.uni-erlangen.de/parasit
