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Prevalence of Schistosomiasis in a neglected community, South western Nigeria at two points in time, spaced three years apart


Oluchi G Otuneme
Oluwasola O Obebe
Titus T Sajobi
Waheed A Akinleye
Taiwo G Faloye

Abstract

Background: In recent years, the prevalence of schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical infection, has increased in underprivileged rural communities characterized by poverty.

Objective: This cross-sectional community-based study was carried out to determine the prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis in a neglected community of Apojola community, South-Western Nigeria at two points in time, spaced three years apart

Method and results: A total of 145 participants were screened and 44.1% were diagnosed to have urinary Schistosoma haema- tobium infection after sedimentation and microscopy. The prevalence of schistosomiasis among females was higher (45.3%) than that among males (42.4%) but not significantly different (0.723). The prevalence of participants with light infection (26%) was significantly higher than those with heavy infection (11.0%). The predisposing factors with statistically significant association with Schistosoma haematobium infection were age (0.000), level of education (0.002), eating/selling of snails (0.037), occupation (0.000), drinking water (0.001), swimming (0.008), and washing in a river (0.019).

Conclusion: These findings indicate that the study area is still endemic to urinary schistosomiasis after three years of research and school-age children and teenagers are the populations at risk of urinary schistosomiasis. Community health education on the cause, mode of transmission, prevention, and prompt treatment of schistosomiasis is recommended.

Keywords: Urinary Schistosomiasis, neglected community, Nigeria.


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eISSN: 1729-0503
print ISSN: 1680-6905