Schistosomiasis is still a major helminth infection at the beginning of the 21st century and an important public health problem in many non-industrialised countries. As the second major parasitic disease in the world after malaria, schistosomiasis affects 200 million people, 800 million being exposed to the risk of infection. It is also estimated that 20 million individuals suffer from severe consequences of this chronic and debilitating disease responsible for at least 500,000 deaths per year.