The disease is schistosomiasis - sometimes known as bilharzia. 250 million people across sub-Saharan Africa are thought to have the disease already, with as many again under threat. I'm joining the museum parasitologist Dr Russell Stothard and his team. Every three months, they visit remote communities like this, to undertake a pioneering study into the transmission and treatment of the disease. My name is Chris. You speak Swahili? I know. How does schistosomiasis affect this community? How is it making these kids feel? Well, the disease has many manifestations. Most predominantly it causes the liver to swell and also spleens to swell. The amounts of blood in the body goes down and they become anaemic. And in extreme cases, we see children who are stunted. And what's the long-term effect of the disease? Will it have more serious consequences later in life? It does kill you. It takes a long period of time to do that, so it's a chronic disease.


这就是血吸虫病，也被称为住吸虫病，非洲撒哈拉沙漠以南，2.5亿人患有这种疾病，还有很多人面临着威胁。我将参与博物馆的寄生虫学家，拉塞尔·斯托萨哈德医生和其团队当下的工作。每三个月他们都会探访这样的边缘城镇，进行关于这种疾病的传播和治疗，以及开创性的研究。 我叫克里斯 -你会说斯瓦希里语吗 - 我会 血吸虫病是如何影响这里的，患病的孩子有什么不适？ 这种疾病有诸多症状，它主要会导致肝脏和脾脏肿胀，体内的血量下降，然后导致贫血，在极端情况下，我们观察到孩子们会发育不良。 那这种疾病会有什么长期影响吗？在以后的生活中会有更严重的后果吗？ 它会让人送命，这会经历很长时间，所以它是慢性病。