CONTROLLING SCHISTOSOMIASIS BY VACCINATION - A REALISTIC OPTION

Schistosomiasis, a snail-transmitted tremotode infection affecting some 200 million people in 74 countries, continues to defy control efforts in vast stretches of endemic areas. Although tools are available, the logistics and cost of their proper application prevent the implementation of sustained control in most parts of the world. Chemotherapy remains the cornerstone of intervention, but rapid reinfection demands frequent retreatment. The development of at least partial immunity would make it logical to combine drug therapy with vaccination, but vaccination is not yet a real option. However, the advance in immunology and molecular biology of the past few years has substantially increased the odds for effective immune prophylaxis. A range of promising candidate vaccine antigens is currently undergoing independent confirmatory testing with scaled-up production and human Wais as the logical next step. In this communication, Robert Bergquist deals with the international effort co-ordinated by WHO/TDR, to generate a schistosomiasis vaccine.