Studies on the Prevalence of Urinary Schistosomiasis in Ogun State, South-Western Nigeria

BACKGROUND: The assessment of the extent and distribution of Schistosoma infection in every region in Nigeria is important and required for formulating intervention strategies suitable for each endemic area. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis in Ogun State, South-West Nigeria. METHODS: Urine samples of pupils were examined for schistosoma eggs by sedimentation technique among selected primary school children. Pretested and structured questionnaires were also administered for KAP studies. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of 32.2% was observed for schistosomiasis in 276 pupils. Peak prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis infection (36.2%) was found in 8–10 years age group. Thirty-seven percent reported passing blood in urine, about 50% of these informed their parents but 53.1% of the parents did nothing. Contact with stream water played a significant role in the transmission of urinary schistosomiasis as 80.9% of those infected used the stream water for domestic and recreational purposes. There was no significant difference (c2 = 0.0489, P>0.05) between infection status among males and females. CONCLUSION: There is need for control measures in this area in order to curb the high prevalence of schistosomiasis.