Incidence of urinary schistosomiasis and the contributory risk factors among primary school children in Lafia Metropolis, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Urinary schistosomiasis though not very prevalent is still found in some parts of Nigeria especially among primary school children who do not know effective sanitary measures of protecting themselves from the infection. This research therefore aimed at evaluating the incidence of urinary schistosomiasis and factors that promote the infection among primary school children in Lafia Local Government Area of Nasarawa State so as to provide information relating to this area of study. One hundred (100) urine samples were collected randomly from three basic primary schools of Lafia Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, namely; St. James Primary School, L.G.E.A Primary School Mararraba-Akunza, Ta’al Model School and Lafia East Local Government Schools. Urine samples collected from the various primary schools were examined in the laboratory using the sedimentation technique. The infection was highest in L.G.E.A Primary School Mararraba-Akunza, behind federal housing estate extension lafia, 4(8%) out of 50 pupils in that school were infected, in the St. James Primary School and Ta’al Model School 2 cases (5.7%) were recorded, in Lafia East Local Government School lafia the infection was 13.3 % (2), the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.70). Majority of the participants were aged between 5 years and 10 years, (84%), and they were the most infected 7(8.3%) the difference was statistically insignificant when compared P = 0.79. Sex; was found to be statistically associated with prevalence of the infection P=0.00, majority of the participants were males 66(66%) and 6(9.1%) of them were infected, females were 34(34%) and 2(5.8%) of them were infected. Children are to be protected from risk factors that endanger them especially the type of water they were exposed to.