High burden of Schistosoma mansoni infection in school-aged children in Marolambo District, Madagascar

• Published in: Parasites & vectors Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 307
• Main Authors: Spencer, Stephen A, Penney, James M St John, Russell, Hannah J, Howe, Anthony P, Linder, Cortland, Rakotomampianina, Andriamahitsisambatra L D, Nandimbiniaina, Anjara M, Squire, S Bertel, Stothard, J Russell, Bustinduy, Amaya L, Rahetilahy, Alain M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 24.06.2017; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age; Age Distribution; Anemia; Animals; Antigens; Bladder; Chemotherapy; Child; Child health; Child, Preschool; Children; Chronic illnesses; Cohort Studies; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disease; Diseases; Distribution; Drugs; Eggs; Feces - parasitology; Female; Filtration; Humans; Infections; Intestine; Luminous intensity; Madagascar; Madagascar - epidemiology; Male; Morbidity; Multivariate Analysis; Neglected diseases; Parasite Egg Count; Parasitology; Preschool children; Prevalence; Prevalence studies (Epidemiology); Public health; Rural health; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosoma mansoni - isolation & purification; Schistosomiasis; Schistosomiasis mansoni - epidemiology; School effectiveness; Schools; Sex Distribution; Soil; Soil investigations; Surveying; Towns; Tropical diseases; Urine; Madagascar; Rural health; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosomiasis; Madagascar; Neglected diseases; Child health
• ISSN: 1756-3305; 1756-3305
• DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2249-7

A school-based survey was undertaken to assess prevalence and infection intensity of schistosomiasis in school-aged children in the Marolambo District of Madagascar. School-aged children from six purposively selected schools were tested for Schistosoma haematobium by urine filtration and Schistosoma mansoni using circulating cathodic antigen (CCA) and Kato-Katz stool analysis. The investigators did not address soil-transmitted helminths (STH) in this study. Of 399 school-aged children screened, 93.7% were infected with S. mansoni based on CCA analysis. Kato-Katz analysis of stool revealed S. mansoni infection in 73.6% (215/ 292). Heavy infections (> 400 eggs per gram) were common (32.1%; 69/ 215), with a mean of 482 eggs per gram of stool. Moderate infection intensities were detected in 31.2% (67/ 215) and light infection intensities in 36.7% (79/ 215) of infected participants. No infection with S. haematobium was detected by urine filtration. Intestinal schistosomiasis appears a considerable public health issue in this remote area of Madagascar where there is a pressing need for mass drug administration.