Schistosomiasis in Zambia: an historical overview and review of the literature.

An historical overview and review of the literature on schistosomiasis in Zambia is presented. The review covers a period of approximately 130 years, from Livingstone's exploratory incursion in 1855 to present-day studies. Five species of mammalian schistosomes occur in Zambia and they are reviewed with respect to their distribution, snail hosts, human prevalence, and their role in producing morbidity and disease in man. The present status of infection and disease in Zambia, as well as considerations of transmission and control in the future, are discussed. The references cited represent 90-95% of the published literature on schistosomiasis in Zambia, excluding case reports.