What is the main symptom associated with schistosomiasis?

Schistosomiasis, a disease caused by parasitic worms of the Schistosoma species, primarily manifests through urinary or intestinal symptoms, depending on the species involved. The most significant symptom associated with urinary schistosomiasis is hematuria, which is the presence of blood in the urine. This occurs due to the damage that the parasite causes in the urinary tract, especially in the bladder, leading to inflammation and bleeding.

In contrast, other symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, and joint pain may occur but are not the hallmark symptoms of schistosomiasis. Fever can be a general response to infection, diarrhea may occur in intestinal schistosomiasis but isn’t as definitive as hematuria, and joint pain is more commonly associated with other types of infections or conditions. Therefore, hematuria stands out as the main symptom that directly indicates the presence of schistosomiasis, particularly in the context of urinary infection caused by the parasite.