Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Urogenital Schistosomiasis among Primary School Children in Agulu, Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

Aim: Given that comprehensive record of a disease in a town will help in disease prevention and control, the prevalence of urogenital schistosomiasis among school children in Agulu, Anambra State, Nigeria was investigated in this present study. Method: A total of 150 terminal urine specimens were randomly collected from primary school children and questionnaires were distributed to them. Each pupil was given a clean, wide mouthed specimen container with covers for collecting their urine. Sedimentation method and microscopy was used to demonstrate ova in their urine samples, in addition to reagent strip for hematuria and proteinuria. Results: Three (3) out of one hundred and fifty (150) pupils tested positive for Schistosoma haematobium ova, resulting to an overall prevalence of 2%. The females recorded a higher prevalence rate of 3% while males recorded prevalence of 1%. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of the infection according to sex (P ˂ 0.05). The age group between 10 -12 years had a prevalence of 4% and 6 - 9 years age group had a prevalence of 3% while the other age groups recorded 0% prevalence. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of the infection according to age groups (P ˂ 0.05). Pupils whose parents are farmers had a prevalence of 4% while whose parents were traders recorded 2% prevalence. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of the infection according to parent’s occupation (P ˂ 0.05). The risk factors of this parasite observed included the source of water, frequent use of streams, rivers or lakes. Conclusion: The result of this study showed that urogenital schistosomiasis infection has reduced considerably in Primary School Children in Agulu, Anambra State, Nigeria. Public health alleviation measures like mass chemotherapy, clean water supply and proper sanitation in addition to health education should be encouraged in Agulu Schools and villages to help eradicate the disease completely.