Schistosomiasis japonica, caused by the blood fluke Schistosoma japonicum, is prevalent in the Philippines and reportedly endemic in 28 out of 81 provinces, mostly in Visayas and Mindanao.
02 Aug 2025
byRey Eliseo F. Regidor
Schistosomiasis
japonica, caused by the blood fluke Schistosoma japonicum, is prevalent in the
Philippines and reportedly endemic in 28 out of 81 provinces, mostly in Visayas
and Mindanao. Despite decades of control efforts, it remains a significant
health problem, putting 12.4 million Filipinos at risk, with 2.7 million
directly exposed to contaminated waters, according to a review in 2020. [Acta Trop. 2020
Mar:203:105284. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica. 2019.105284. Epub 2019 Nov 28]. The
disease requires management of both animal and human hosts, including health
education and water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure.
