De Vito Andrea, Colpani Agnese, Moi Giulia, Moné Hélène, Mouahid Gabriel, Fusco Daniela, Marchese Valentina, Madeddu Giordano, Richter Joachim
Unit of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
UMR 5244 IHPE Interactions Hôtes-Pathogènes-Environnements, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, Université de Perpignan, Perpignan, France.
Infez Med. 2025 Sep 1;33(3):279-283. doi: 10.53854/liim-3303-4. eCollection 2025.
is a widespread tropical helminthic zoonosis. Schistosomiasis was endemic in some foci in Southern Europe until the sixties of the last century. Autochthonous transmission of human schistosomiasis was first reported in the French island of Corsica in 2014, and the schistosome responsible for this emergence was also linked to partial hybridisation between and the bovine schistosome species . Transmission has recently been retrospectively confirmed in southern Spain as well.
The distance between southern Corsica and northern Sardinia is 12 km. The freshwater snail Bulinus (B.) truncatus, one of the intermediate mollusc hosts of S. haematobium, is known to be endemic in some regions of southern Europe, including Corsica, Spain, and Portugal, where it transmits the zoonotic . appears still to be endemic in Sardinia and possibly also in Sicily. Furthermore, schistosomiasis of ungulates caused by , transmitted by the same vector snail, also appears to be endemic in Sardinia. Migrant populations and returnees to Italy have been found to be infested with schistosomes, and tourism to local freshwater bodies is increasing.
There is a considerable potential risk of autochthonous schistosomiasis being introduced to Italy. Therefore, surveillance has to be intensified to prevent the establishment of an autochthonous transmission cycle of human schistosomiasis in Italy. Systematic screening strategies for individuals who have been possibly exposed to endemic areas need to be established. Curative treatment of identified cases is mandatory. Praziquantel, the drug of choice, needs to be readily available throughout Italy.Malacological surveillance of snail populations focusing on potential transmission sites is recommended. A one-health approach is recommended to verify the actual epidemiological situation of autochthonous infestation and, thereby, to investigate the risk of establishing a zoonotic reservoir. Clinicians should be aware that, in some circumstances, schistosomiasis may occur in individuals who have never travelled to known endemic areas before.
血吸虫病是一种广泛传播的热带蠕虫病，属于人畜共患病。直到上世纪六十年代，血吸虫病在南欧的一些疫源地仍呈地方性流行。2014年，法国科西嘉岛首次报告了人体血吸虫病的本地传播情况，引发此次传播的血吸虫还与埃及血吸虫和牛血吸虫物种之间的部分杂交有关。最近，西班牙南部也通过回顾性研究证实了血吸虫的传播。
科西嘉岛南部与撒丁岛北部相距12公里。截形小泡螺是埃及血吸虫的中间软体动物宿主之一，已知在南欧的一些地区呈地方性流行，包括科西嘉岛、西班牙和葡萄牙，在这些地区它传播人畜共患的埃及血吸虫。埃及血吸虫似乎在撒丁岛仍然呈地方性流行，在西西里岛可能也是如此。此外，由同一媒介螺传播的、导致有蹄类动物患血吸虫病的埃及血吸虫，在撒丁岛似乎也呈地方性流行。已发现前往意大利的移民和归国人员感染了血吸虫，前往当地淡水水域的旅游业也在增加。
意大利存在引入本地血吸虫病的重大潜在风险。因此，必须加强监测，以防止在意大利建立人体血吸虫病的本地传播循环。需要为可能接触过疫区的个人制定系统的筛查策略。对确诊病例进行治疗是必不可少的。首选药物吡喹酮在意大利各地都应随时可得。建议对蜗牛种群进行以潜在传播地点为重点的软体动物学监测。建议采用“同一健康”方法来核实本地埃及血吸虫感染的实际流行病学情况，从而调查建立人畜共患病宿主的风险。临床医生应意识到，在某些情况下，从未前往过已知疫区的个人也可能感染血吸虫病。
