{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T14:57:17Z","timestamp":1791385037680,"version":"4.3.3"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene","issue":"4","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT.<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    Schistosomiasis remains a significant but frequently underrecognized parasitic infection among migrants from endemic regions living in Europe. A retrospective cross-sectional study of sub-Saharan African migrants diagnosed with schistosomiasis was conducted at a referral center in northern Spain between 2012 and 2023. Cases were primarily defined by positive serological results, with parasitological confirmation available only in a minority of patients. The aim was to describe demographic, clinical, and diagnostic characteristics, with particular attention to sex-based differences. Among 538 screened individuals (52.8% men), 121 (22.5%) were diagnosed with schistosomiasis, including 59 women (48.7%). The mean age was 33 \u00b1 14 years. Women had a longer duration of residence in Spain before diagnosis compared with men (39 \u00b1 59 versus 30 \u00b1 37 months;\n                    <jats:italic>P<\/jats:italic>\n                    = 0.037). Most patients were asymptomatic (62.7% of women and 58% of men). Hematuria was observed exclusively in men (\n                    <jats:italic>P<\/jats:italic>\n                    = 0.001), with bladder abnormalities confirmed in two cases. Among 33 women with available gynecological history, 60.6% reported reproductive tract morbidity, including recurrent miscarriage and infertility. These findings highlight the substantial burden of imported schistosomiasis among migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and reveal clinically relevant sex-related differences in presentation and associated conditions. The study results support the need for targeted screening strategies in nonendemic settings and emphasize the importance of incorporating reproductive health assessment into the evaluation of women with suspected schistosomiasis.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.26-0163","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T14:22:37Z","timestamp":1787235757000},"page":"819-823","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Sex-Based Differences in Imported Schistosomiasis among Sub-Saharan African Migrants in Spain"],"prefix":"10.4269","volume":"115","author":[{"given":"Mercedes","family":"Rodr\u00edguez-P\u00e9rez","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain;"},{"name":"Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain;"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bel\u00e9n","family":"Rivaya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain;"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jos\u00e9 Antonio","family":"Boga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain;"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rita","family":"Garc\u00eda Jimenez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain;"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lorena","family":"Fern\u00e1ndez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain;"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Edurne","family":"Rodrigo Arrazola","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain;"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Azucena","family":"Rodr\u00edguez-Guardado","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain;"},{"name":"Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain;"},{"name":"Department of Medicine, University of Oviedo, Asturias, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2795","reference":[{"key":"b1","article-title":"WHO Guideline on Control and Elimination of Human Schistsomiasis.","year":"2022"},{"key":"b2","article-title":"Schistosomiasis.","year":"2026"},{"key":"b3","article-title":"Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia).","year":"2023"},{"issue":"10","key":"b4","series-title":"Eur J Pediatr","first-page":"4457","article-title":"Schistosomiasis in migrant children and adolescents in a paediatric tropical referral unit in Spain: Diagnosis and long-term management challenges","volume":"183","author":"Rodr\u00edguez-Molino","year":"2024"},{"issue":"1","key":"b5","series-title":"Infect Dis Poverty","first-page":"19","article-title":"Clinical and epidemiological features of schistosomiasis among sub-Saharan African migrants in Barcelona, Spain: A retrospective observational study","volume":"15","author":"Duarte-Zoilan","year":"2026"},{"key":"b6","series-title":"Int J Infect Dis","first-page":"108168","article-title":"Malaria and other neglected infections in pregnant migrants: A retrospective study in Northern Italy","volume":"161","author":"Todaro","year":"2025"},{"key":"b7","series-title":"Travel Med Infect Dis","first-page":"102258","article-title":"Schistosomiasis in immigrants and travelers in Italy: A retrospective study","volume":"46","author":"Comelli","year":"2022"},{"issue":"10479","key":"b8","series-title":"Lancet","first-page":"658","article-title":"Human schistosomiasis","volume":"405","author":"Buonfrate","year":"2025"},{"key":"b9","series-title":"Parasit Vectors","first-page":"67","article-title":"Mapping Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma mansoni endemicity in Africa: A systematic review and geostatistical analysis","volume":"15","author":"Kittur","year":"2022"},{"issue":"3","key":"b10","series-title":"PLoS Glob Public Health","first-page":"e0002249","article-title":"The WHO atlas for female-genital schistosomiasis: Co-design of a practicable diagnostic guide, digital support and training","volume":"4","author":"Martinez","year":"2024"},{"key":"b11","series-title":"Adv Parasitol","first-page":"1","article-title":"An update on female and male genital schistosomiasis and a call to integrate efforts to escalate diagnosis, treatment and awareness in endemic 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urogenital schistosomiasis in Corsica (France): An epidemiological case study","volume":"16","author":"Boissier","year":"2016"},{"issue":"2","key":"b16","series-title":"Lancet Glob Health","first-page":"e236","article-title":"Prevalence of strongyloidiasis and schistosomiasis among migrants: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"7","author":"Asundi","year":"2019"},{"issue":"1","key":"b17","series-title":"J Travel Med","first-page":"taz075","article-title":"Delay in schistosomiasis diagnosis and treatment: A multicenter cohort study in Italy","volume":"27","author":"Comelli","year":"2020"},{"issue":"9","key":"b18","series-title":"PLoS One","first-page":"e0185245","article-title":"Epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic and economic features of an immigrant population of chronic schistosomiasis sufferers with long-term residence in a non-endemic country (North Metropolitan area of Barcelona, (2002\u20132016)","volume":"12","author":"Roure","year":"2017"},{"issue":"4","key":"b19","series-title":"Am J Trop Med Hyg","first-page":"1137","article-title":"Schistosomiasis and infertility in East Africa","volume":"98","author":"Woodall","year":"2018"},{"issue":"11","key":"b20","series-title":"PLoS Negl Trop Dis","first-page":"e0010901","article-title":"Knowledge, experiences, and practices of women affected by female genital schistosomiasis in rural Madagascar: A qualitative study on disease perception, health impairment and social impact","volume":"16","author":"Schuster","year":"2022"},{"issue":"3","key":"b21","series-title":"J Low Genit Tract Dis","first-page":"291","article-title":"The association between female genital schistosomiasis and other infections of the lower genital tract in adolescent girls and young women: A cross-sectional study in South Africa","volume":"27","author":"Shukla","year":"2023"},{"issue":"6","key":"b22","series-title":"J Int AIDS Soc","first-page":"e25534","article-title":"Associations between schistosomiasis and HIV-1 acquisition risk in four prospective cohorts: A nested case-control analysis","volume":"23","author":"Bochner","year":"2020"},{"key":"b23","series-title":"J Glob Health","first-page":"3002","article-title":"Imported female genital schistosomiasis: A neglected health issue across borders","volume":"16","author":"Wall","year":"2026"},{"issue":"1","key":"b24","series-title":"Int J Parasitol","first-page":"69","article-title":"Uroschistosomiasis during pregnancy is associated with low birth weight delivery: Analysis of a prospective cohort of pregnant women and their offspring in Gabon","volume":"47","author":"Mombo-Ngoma","year":"2017"},{"issue":"11","key":"b25","series-title":"PLoS Negl Trop Dis","first-page":"e0009083","article-title":"Gender-related differences in prevalence, intensity and associated risk factors of Schistosoma infections in Africa: A systematic review and 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Microbiology (SEIMC) and the Spanish Society of Tropical Medicine and International Health (SETMSI), on the diagnostic and treatment of imported schistosomiasis","volume":"41","author":"Bocanegra","year":"2023"},{"issue":"5","key":"b30","series-title":"Infection","first-page":"1249","article-title":"Schistosomiasis in non-endemic areas: Italian consensus recommendations for screening, diagnosis and management by the Italian Society of Tropical Medicine and Global Health (SIMET), endorsed by the Committee for the Study of Parasitology of the Italian Association of Clinical Microbiologists (CoSP-AMCLI), the Italian Society of Parasitology (SoIPa), the Italian Society of Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy (SIGE), the Italian Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (SIGO), the Italian Society of Colposcopy and Cervico-Vaginal Pathology (SICPCV), the Italian Society of General Medicine and Primary Care (SIMG), the Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases (SIMIT), the Italian Society of Pediatrics (SIP), the Italian Society of Paediatric Infectious Diseases (SITIP), the Italian Society of Urology (SIU)","volume":"51","author":"Comelli","year":"2023"},{"issue":"1","key":"b31","series-title":"Parasit Vectors","first-page":"196","article-title":"Evaluation of molecular and serological testing for imported urogenital schistosomiasis screening in a referral tropical medicine centre in Barcelona, Spain","volume":"18","author":"Mart\u00ednez-Vallejo","year":"2025"},{"issue":"2","key":"b32","series-title":"Trop Med Infect Dis","first-page":"73","article-title":"Accuracy of three serological techniques for the diagnosis of imported schistosomiasis in real clinical practice: Not all in the same boat","volume":"8","author":"Luz\u00f3n-Garc\u00eda","year":"2023"}],"container-title":["The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and 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