Schistosomiasis: an imported disease

Infectious diseases cause more than fifty per cent of deaths in childhood. The World Health Organization has pointed out schistosomiasis as a major cause of morbidity in tropical countries. Immigration and international travels have contributed to the occurrence in our country of so-called imported diseases. Pediatricians should know the geographical distribution as well as the most frequent clinical manifestations of these diseases. A good epidemiological history collecting country of origin, time of stay and risk factors can advise to a diagnosis. We present two clinical cases of patients arriving from tropical countries diagnosed of schistosomiasis. One of them comes in a process of international adoption and the second as immigrant.