Oluchi G Otuneme¹, Oluwasola O Obebe², Titus T Sajobi³, Waheed A Akinleye¹, Taiwo G Faloye¹

1. Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Babcock University, Ilishan Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria.
2. Department of Veterinary Parasitology & Entomology, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
3. Department of Public Health, Babcock University, Ilishan Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria.

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 haematobium 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.

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v19i1.5

Cite as: Otuneme OG, Obebe OO, Sajobi TT, Akinleye WA, Faloye TG. Prevalence of Schistosomiasis in a neglected community, South western Nigeria at two points in time, spaced three years apart. Afri Health Sci. 2019;19(1): 1338-1345. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v19i1.5