Endemicity of vesical schistosomiasis in the Ebonyi Benue River valley, South Eastern Nigeria

• Published in: International journal of hygiene and environmental health Vol. 206; no. 3; pp. 205 - 210
• Main Authors: Anosike, Jude C., Okere, Anthony N., Nwoke, Bertram E.B., Chukwu, Joyce U., Nwosu, Dennis C., Njoku-Tony, Roseline F., Oguwuike, Thaddeus U., Ezike, Monica N., Okogun, R.A., Obasi, Chikezie U., Ogbusu, Fidelia I., Onyirioha, Caroline U., Ajero, Chigbo M., Dike, Martins U., Godwin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Jena Elsevier GmbH 01.06.2003; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Animals; B. truncatus; Biological and medical sciences; Bulinus globosus; Child; Child, Preschool; Diseases caused by trematodes; endemicity; Epidemiologic Studies; epidemiology; Female; female genital schistosomiasis (FGS); Helminthic diseases; Hematuria - etiology; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nigeria; Nigeria - epidemiology; Pain - etiology; Parasitic diseases; Prevalence; Rural Population; Schistosoma haematobium - pathogenicity; Schistosomiases; Schistosomiasis haematobia - epidemiology; Schistosomiasis haematobia - pathology; Severity of Illness Index; Sex Factors; symptoms; Tropical medicine; Vesical schistosomiasis; Nigeria; Africa; symptoms; female genital schistosomiasis (FGS); epidemiology; endemicity; B. truncatus; Vesical schistosomiasis; Bulinus globosus; Nigeria; Urinary system disease; Schistosoma haematobium; Bulinus truncatus; Trematode disease; Plathelmintha; South; Gastropoda; Parasitosis; Urinary tract disease; Rivers; Helminthiasis; Epidemiology; Trematoda; Female genital diseases; Infection; Schistosomiasis; Pulmonata; Helmintha; Tropical medicine; Bladder disease; Invertebrata; Mollusca
• ISSN: 1438-4639; 1618-131X
• DOI: 10.1078/1438-4639-00214

The investigation on the prevalence of patent and clinically severe infections with Schistosoma haematobium was carried out amongst inhabitants of Ebonyi Benue river valley, South Eastern Nigeria between August 2000 and June 2001. The inhabitants are predominantly farmers. Of the 3296 subjects examined from 15 randomly selected villages in the valley, 776 (23.5%) were excreting the eggs of S. haematobium in their urine. Infection rates varied between 18.9% and 30.6%. The severity of infection calculated by arithmetic mean egg counts (AMEC) and geometric mean egg counts (GMEC) varied significantly between the age groups and the villages (P<0.05). The prevalence and severity of infection increased with age from 0 to 25 years and decreased thereafter. Symptoms associated with the disease include visible hematuria (63.1%), suprapubic pain (10.3%) and stranguary (9.9%). While 65 positive persons had more than one symptom, 64 of the positive persons had no noticeable symptoms. Visible hematuria showed moderate sensitivity and high specificity for the disease. Female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) of the lower reproductive tract was recorded in 19 females of child bearing age that complained of severe suprapubic pain. Eight snail species were recorded in the stagnant ponds and both Bulinus globosus and B. truncatus were infected with schistosome cercariae. The factors contributing to these observations and feasible control measures are discussed.