Gender and Age-Specific Prevalence of Urinary Schistosomiasis in selected Villages near a Dam Site in Gusau Local Government Area, Zamfara State, Nigeria

Abstract

Urinary schistosomiasis study was conducted to determine its prevalence and intensity in five villages around Gusau Dam, in Gusau Local Government Area, Zamfara State. A total of five hundred (500) urine samples were examined for the eggs of Schistosoma haematobium, using standard filtration technique. People within the age group of 10-19 years had the highest prevalence of infection 63.51% and the prevalence decreasing steadily thereafter. Males with a prevalence of 56.41% were significantly more infected than females with a prevalence of 31.38%. Mean egg count for the whole study area was 237.94 eggs/10ml of urine. Koramar Gora had comparatively high egg mean count, 330.46 eggs/10ml, than other villages. The age-specific prevalence showed that age group 10-19 years had the highest egg mean count of 367.06 eggs/10ml. Gender-specific prevalence indicated higher egg mean count 247.57 eggs/10ml in males than in females with 209.22 eggs/10ml. This study revealed that, the study area was endemic for urinary schistosomiasis, higher among males than females and higher among ages of 10-19 years. Therefore, the need for Government intervention to effectively control the disease in the area.

Keywords: Age-specific, Urinary Schistosomiasis, filtration technique, Mean egg count, intervention

Nigerian Journal of Parasitology, Vol. 32 [1] March 2011, pp. 55-59