Schistosoma species
Schistosoma haematobium, eggs and adults, tissue
These images show the eggs and adults of Schistosoma haematobium in hematoxylin & eosin-stained bladder tissue sections. The whole slide mage can be seen HERE.
Although not apparent in all sections, the eggs are large (measuring 110-170 micrometers long by 40 to 70 micrometers wide) and they have a terminal spine.
Schistosoma haematobium, eggs, urine
These photographs show the eggs of Schistosoma haematobium from urine. They are large eggs, measuring 110 to 170 micrometers long by 40 to 70 micrometers wide, and have a terminal spine. Click HERE to see the motility of the inner miracidium. The holes in the background of the first 5 images are the pores of the Nucleopore filter through which the urine was filtered. Filtration is a widely-used method for concentrating eggs in urine specimen and facilitating their detection. The second case below shows S. haematobium eggs in a refrigerated urine with a lot of background crystals. Crystals commonly form in urine, particularly when it has been refrigerated, and this can interfere with egg detection. The crystals will often dissolve when the specimen is gently heated.
Schistosoma mansoni, eggs, tissue
These images show eggs of Schistosoma mansoni in unstained and stained (hematoxylin & eosin) tissue. The unstained preparation was created by pressing a rectal biopsy tissue between 2 glass slides, while the H&E-stained tissue sections were made from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue. Note that the eggs are large (114 to 180 micrometers long by 40 to 70 micrometers wide) and have a prominent lateral spine (arrow), although the spine is not seen in all of the tissue sections.
Schistosoma species, adults
Schistosoma sp. couple in copula. Note the larger male (arrows) and the smaller, slender female (arrow head). She is resting in the gynecophoral canal of the male. Higher power images show the anterior and ventral suckers, characteristic of the human trematodes.
Schistosoma species, cercariae
Cercariae are microscopic swimming forms of the schistosomes. They are found in fresh water sources that house the suitable snail hosts and are capable of penetrating intact skin. Humans become infected when swimming, bathing or drinking water containing like cercariae.