Abstract
BackgroundUrogenital schistosomiasis is a parasitic infection of public health importance that affects over 112 million people worldwide. The study aimed at assessing the urogenital schistosomiasis prevalence and risk factors of transmission around Mape dam suburds in Malantouen district, West, Cameroon.MethodsThe study was conducted using semi-structured pretested questionnaires to collect socio-demographic and ecological data. Urine samples were also collected and used to confirm the prevalence of schistosomiasis in consented school-aged children in four primary schools between March – July 2014. Snails’ samples around the dam surburbs were also collected for taxonomy characterization and species identification. Data were compiled and quality control assessed and analysed using SPSS version 17 and Epiinfo data 3.1. P < 0.05 was considered statistical significance.ResultsQuestionnaires were administered to 229 pupils, with gender ratio of 1.04 (m/f). The prevalence of schistosomiasis haematobium was 16.6%. Mambonko school site, which is the closest to the dam suburbs, registered the greatest prevalence rate of 40%. The age group beween 10–13 years was the most infected (18.3%) and boys were more infested than girls (21.0% vs. 15.5%). Haematuria, urination pain, school absentiesm and poor performance were the major recorded complications in 39.5 and 26.3% males to female respectively. Infection rate gender disparity documented is still poorly understood and Bulinus truncatus collected from Mambonko suburb as potential snail intermediate host requires further studies.ConclusionsAuthors advocated that schools and dam suburds sustained and innovative community-based surveillance and response targeted interventions implementation are needed to inform and support decision-making policy, but also in improving effective contextual behavioural communication changes and MDA improved uptake measures on national schistosomiasis control and elimination in Cameroon.
Highlights
Urogenital schistosomiasis is a parasitic infection of public health importance that affects over 112 million people worldwide
A randomized and semi-stratified descriptive study was performed on pupils in four (4) public primary schools located within a sphere of 2 km of Mape dam, Malatouen health district, West Cameroon
Discussions Schistosomiasis is still a serious public health challenge in most remote settings in Africa. It is caused by the presence of S. haematobium in the blood vessels, and transmitted to man by an intermediate snails host in fresh water, dams and ingestion of infected food products or shared risky public schools latrines. These results showed that a total 229 pupils, aged 7–16 years old were investigated from four public primary schools located within a sphere of 2 km from Mape dam, Malantouen health district, West Cameroon
Summary
Urogenital schistosomiasis is a parasitic infection of public health importance that affects over 112 million people worldwide. The study aimed at assessing the urogenital schistosomiasis prevalence and risk factors of transmission around Mape dam suburds in Malantouen district, West, Cameroon. Schistosomiasis is reported in 93 countries, accounts for more than 600 million vulnerable individuals with about 200 million infected people [1]. In tropics and sub-tropics, human and water contacts can be potential risk factor of schistosomiasis. S. haematobium is the most prevalent species and accounts for about 112 million vulnerable populations and 80 million cases and 150 000 deaths annually. More than 85% of infested populations are severe and mainly found in sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 20 million suffered from a severe form of schistosomiasis complications, resulting to about 200 000 deaths annually [3, 4]. The socioeconomic consequences on developing countries is enormous, especially in Africa where it constitutes a major public health burden in riskiest children group impeding school attendance, absenteism illed-health and weak memory, poor performance and productivity, disability and death [1, 4, 5]
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