AAAS: "'Win-win-win' strategy reduces dangerous parasite infections in African villages." A parasitic flatworm in the genus Schistosoma in Africa infects millions, causing pain, weakness + in children failure to thrive plus cognitive dysfunction. Some peope get liver disease or cancer. "Now, researchers have shown in a trial in Senegal that a simple intervention could reduce the risk of infection and break the resulting spiral of poverty and disease." Harvesting aquatic plants removes habitat for the snails carrying the parasite, which slashes rates of schistosomiasis, benefiting farmers with the vegatation being used for fertilizer + fodder for animals. Infected people pass schistosome eggs in their urine or stool, depending on species. The eggs infect certain snail species, which release second-stage larvae which can burrow through intact human skin, completing the cycle. The drug praziquantel can knock down the disease burden in people, but rapid reinfection often occurs. In the randomized, controlled trial, residents of 8 villages in Senegal were paid to remove water plants every 3 months for 3 yrs. The number of snails was reduce eightfold compared to control villages. "And the percentage of schoolchildren infected with one flatworm parasite, Schistosoma mansoni, was 23.5% in sites where the vegetation was removed, whereas it was 31.5% in control villages, Rohr and colleagues report in Nature." The composted plants increased yields of papper + onions, 2 local crops. As for fodder, goats were not interested, but sheep, donkey + cattle were happy to partake. As a former president told us, this represents so much winning that we should be sick + tired of all the winning. #schistosomiasis #parasitology #winning
