Schistosomiasis mansoni in La Hispaniola: revisiting a neglected tropical disease in the Caribbean

Abstract

Introduction: Schistosoma species are well established as parasite in many tropical countries. Schistosoma mansoni seems to be introduced to Las Americas during the slavery trade from Africa. Identification of schistosomiasis has evolved over time due to the expansion of the Biomphalaria species, the intermediate host of the parasite in the Caribbean. The migration of the parasite and its intermediate host affects the incidence of schistosomiasis, which should be evident in recent literature. Aim: The aim of this study is to review the distribution of reported cases of schistosomiasis in the island of The Hispaniola in current literature. Methods: Following the Cochrane review methodology we use searches in PubMed, Google Scholar, and MedicLatina using the keywords: “Schistosoma mansoni” AND “Schistosomiasis” AND “Bilharziasis” each linked with “Dominican Republic” AND “Haiti” AND “Hispaniola Island” in the English and Spanish languages. Those describing these words were included in the analysis. Results: A total of 65 articles were identified, among them 10 met the inclusion criteria. After eliminating duplicates only 4 articles which described the report of new cases of Schistosomiasis in the Hispaniola Island were included in the study. Articles published between 1952 and 1990 where reported cases of Schistosomiasis occurred in 7 provinces of the Dominican Republic. Conclusion: The potential for B. glabrata distribution in the Dominican Republic has been described in the entire country while the physical presence has only been reported in 1/6 of the nation and in the northern province of Haiti. Distribution of cases of Schistosomiasis in the island of the Hispaniola have changed over time with the first cases occurring in the rural, easternmost regions of the island, and the most recent cases occurring in eastern and northern regions, and in addition to those rural areas, in more urban regions as well, with the last conducted study published in 1990. More recent studies need to be performed and published in order to validate to the WHO the status of “low-transmission of infection” that was declared in 2013 but has yet to be confirmed.