Schistosomiasis mansoni among school children of different water source users in Tigray, northern Ethiopia

Abstract

The current trend of harvesting water to supplement the agricultural productivity is associated with the expansion of Schistosomiasis mansoni and other intestinal parasitic infections. Considering this, the present study was started with the objective of assessing the prevalence and intensity of S. mansoni infection and other intestinal helminth among different water source users. A total of 622 stool samples from school children of those families, which were using lands around longstanding-irrigation, recently constructed dam-irrigation and non-irrigated land, were processed by Kato thick smear and examined microscopically. The overall prevalence rate for intestinal parasites was 26.53%, where as for S. mansoni infection it was only 5.95%. A total of eight species of helminth parasites were identified; the highest being Ascaris lumbricoides (10.45%) followed by Enterobius vermicularis (8.52%). The prevalence and intensity of S. mansoni infection showed the highest rate in the longstanding areas (13.73%), followed by the recently started irrigated areas from recently constructed dams (6.18%) and the least in areas where the school children stay in un-irrigated area (0.61%) (χ2 = 21.99, P = 0.000). We recommend that due attention should be given to health impacts of such agricultural interventions. The worm burden can be reduced by proper management of the water and the canal system like clearing the lithoral zones and the water canals to reduce the establishment of the intermediate hosts.

Key words: Eggs per gram, Intensity of infection, Long standing irrigation, Schistosoma mansoni, Schistosomiasis mansoni.