Bilharzia screen

[robisa86]

Hi all, can anybody help?

My Bilharzia/Schistosomiasis ELISA result has come back as "\R\"

Does anybody know what this means? Does it like mean the test was 'Reactive' i.e. Positive?

Many thanks in advance for your help.

[mkh9]

Yes sometimes having high Eosinophils can mean a parasitic infection. It can also mean an allergy or skin problems or some other things.  If you were in a foreign country where Shistosomiasis is prevalent such as Africa or South East Asia, Middle East, Brazil, Carribean and some other countries, and you could have been exposed then it would be good to repeat and/or at least call the doctor about the report. The red blood cells can be due to a lot of things. We'll see. It could be due to an infection. At this point I'll stay neutral.

A repeat test can be due to a variety of things. Some tests have specific things that interfere with the test or some other problem with the test. It wouldn't be because it wasn't detected. If it wasn't detected it would say Negative or N.
At least that is my take on the (R) result. I am a clinical microbiologist scientist and also worked in biotech so I understand these tests fairly well. I would give the doctor a call and see whats up.

What was your possible exposure?

Let me know how it goes.
mkh9

[robisa86]

Thanks for the reply. In terms of exposure, I went white water rafting in the Nile (Uganda) in 2006, I have also been to Uganda in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. I was also in Rwanda in 2006 and recall paddling in Lake Kivu near the Congolese border. Kenya in 2009 and Zanzibar in 2012, although all the only water exposure on that trip was the sea, so salt water. 2013 I was in south India and was in the water occassionally.

I think the most likely exposure though was 2006, rafting in Uganda and visiting Lake Kivu. This was before I became aware of the risks of Bilharzia and have tried to avoid risk zones since then.  

[mkh9]

Hi, Yes you probably have a risk from the fresh water exposures you mentioned. We'll see what happens. Do you have symptoms?
mkh9

[robisa86]

The main symptom I have is extreme lethargy. I think I have got used to it as it's been going on so long but the more I think about it, the more I realise how permanently exhausted I am. Sometimes I'm so tired that I ache all over badly :( I don't know if it's just a general tiredness but I do lack energy. Maybe its related to something else. We'll see.

The only other symptoms I've had for the last few years is upper right abdo pain and frequent sweats (night and day). I mentioned the these to the GP on several occassions but he dismissed them as insignificant.

Sarah

[mkh9]

Early symptoms are Fever, chills, muscle aches. Also, you can get liver pain.
Like you said we'll see. Have you been tested for malaria and Tsetse fly? Were you bitten by any mosquitos or flies? I guess in general there are a lot of things in the places you visited. Were you tested for other parasites too?
take care, I hope you feel better.
mkh9

[robisa86]

Was tested for malaria but the results were negative. Tsetse fly and other parasites not tested either. Blood in the urine and raised eosinophiles were only identified last week on a routine medical as I was meant to be flying to Seirra Leone the following Sunday. Unfortunately that is on hold now whilst we try and resolve the cause of these test results. If it isn't Bilharzia, it could highly likely be another parasitic infection, when I think of all the places I've lived and worked in developing countries over the past ten years or so. I think I can rule out allergies and although I have mild asthma, I only use my inhaler 3-4 a year. No signs of a UTI really, no urgency, no pain, no feeling I need to go but can't.

I think I'm just going to have to wait til Monday. If the results are negative I'll be sure to get follow up tests for other parasitic infections etc. Either way, I won't be getting medical clearance to deploy for work until its all sorted!!!