title: Schistosomiasis, hepatitis B and hepatitis C co-infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Schistosomiasis is a significant health problem in more than 70 countries distributed between Africa, Asia and South America, with an infection rate of one in 30 individuals. Data on Schistosomiasis, Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection are scarce; however, there is a high prevalence in countries where schistosomiasis is endemic.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic search was performed on published data from 1980-2014. Published papers in the databases Google, Medline, PubMed, and MiPc library were searched using the keywords epidemiology, pathogenesis and outcomes of HBV, HCV and schistosomiasis and data were extracted from the relevant studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of HBV/schistosomiasis co-infection in countries where schistosomiasis is endemic was high, ranging between 9.6 to approximately 64% in Egypt, and a maximum of 15.8% among hospitalized patients in Brazil. Concurrent infection between HBV and schistosomiasis is often associated with countries where schistosomiasis is endemic and may lead to chronic liver inflammation. Similarly, HCV infection rates in schistosomiasis populations range from 1% in Ethiopia reaching up to 50% in Egypt.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is controversy regarding the effects of HBV and HCV on schistosomiasis and vice versa. Vaccination might be a solution to the era of schistosomiasis and co-infection with HBV and HCV.
authors.affiliation: Qassim College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia. gasimgsm@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Gasim I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Gasim
authors.affiliation: King Fahad Hospital of the University, University of Dammam, Dammam, Saudi Arabia. abdelhaleem.bella@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Abdelhaleem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bella
authors.affiliation: Qassim College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia. ishagadam@hotmail.com.|Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, P.O. Box 102, Khartoum, Sudan. ishagadam@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ishag
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Adam
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D060085:Coinfection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013020:South America / Q000453:epidemiology