THE PREVALENCE OF SCHISTOSOMAHAEMATOBIUM INFECTION IN ADIM VILLAGE OF BIASE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, CROSS RIVER STATE

Abstract

Schistosomahaematobiumis one of the major infections of public health and socio -economic
importance in the developing world. Two hundred million people are affected with 600 million
being at risk. It is endemic in 74 countries in the Middle East and most African continents.
Infested water bodies are the sources of infection. The prevalence of S. haematobiumin Adim Cross
River State has been in the range of 53.8% and 43.5%. In 2003 the prevalence was 51% six months
before the provision of piped water in the community.
A cross-sectional study was conducted among school –age children in Adim community of
Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State. The aim was to determine the prevalence and
intensity of Schistosomahaematobiumnine years after the provision of piped water and to compare
with pre piped water era.Three hundred and eighty pupils aged between five and 14 years attending
the Presbyterian Primary School were recruited into the study from October to December 2011.
Each child was asked about symptoms known to be related to urinary schistosomiasis and
watercontact pattern, stream and piped water, using a structured questionnaire. Physical
examination was conducted on all subjects. Urine specimen was collected from each child into a
container and tested for microscopic haematuria and proteinuria using reagent strips. The urine
was also examined for ova of Schistosomahaematobiumusing polyamide millipore filtration
method. Data was analysed using SPSS version 14.
Fifty five of the subjects were ova positive givinga prevalence of 14.5%. There was thus a
reductioncompared with 51% in thepre piped water era. Mild infection was observed in 43(11.3%),
moderate infection 7(1.8%) and severe infection 5(1.3%), while in the pre piped water era mild
infection was observed in 175(39.5%), moderate infection 31(7%) and severe20 (4.5%) , p=0.0001.
Thirteen of the pupils with infection had microscopic haematuria(23.6%), while in the pre piped
era, 148(65.5%) had haematuria (p=0.001).Mild haematuria was observed among 7(12.7%),
moderate in 6(10.9%) of the children. There was no case of severe haematuria.
In the previous period mild haematuria was observed among 49(33.1%), moderate among
30(20.3%) and severe 69(46.6%) of the subjects. Thirty (54.5%) had proteinuria in the present
study, while in the pre piped water era 125(55.4%) had proteinuria p= 0.300. Mild proteinuria
was observed among 24(43.6%), moderate 5(9.1%), and one severe case, while in the pre piped
water era mild infection was observed among 74(59.2%), moderate 35(28.0%) and severe
16(12.8%) of the children. There was no significant relationship between intensity of infection and
gender. Symptoms observed were:urinary frequency7 (12.7%),haematuria 6 (10.9%) and
suprapubic pain 4 (7.2%). Fourty-two (76.3%) of the infected children were asymptomatic. There
was no significant relationship between schistosomiasis and hepatomegaly and splenomegaly.
Two hundred and ninety three (77.1%) of the subjects used the piped water while 87 (23.9%)
did not. Among those infected, four visited the stream between 1-5 times a week, 42 visited 6-10
times a week, five visited more than 10 times a week while the remaining four never visited the
stream.
It is concluded that, despite the provision of piped water,the primary school children of Adim,
Cross River State still have a significant prevalence of S.haematobium. Urgent control
measuresshould be instituted, including making the water free, to eradicate this endemic, neglected
tropical disease