Acute Schistosomiasis in Travelers Returning From Mali

Acute schistosomiasis or "Katayama syndrome" occurs in previously uninfected persons 3-6 weeks after exposure to cercaria-infested water.1,2 Many outbreaks among tourists have been reported.3-11 Such outbreaks occur because tourists are bathing or swimming in waters thought by tourist organizations to be bilharzial free. Imported schistosomiasis acquired in the Dogon country in Mali, West Africa, was first demonstrated in 1989 in three Spanish travelers;3 in 1991, an outbreak was described among Dutch travelers.7 In 1993, we investigated a similar outbreak among European and American travelers returning from the same area.