Schistosomiasis in African infants and preschool children: to treat or not to treat?

The occurrence of schistosomiasis in African infants and preschool children has been largely overlooked, with preventive chemotherapy usually focused on school-aged children instead. Two recent surveys by Bosompem et al. and Odogwu et al. have shown that schistosomiasis in younger children is much more common than previously thought. This article highlights the importance of the disease in this age group and discusses the future prospects for schistosomiasis control.