Prevalence of Urinary Schistosomiasis among Primary School Pupils in Jos, Northcentral Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Urinary schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by Schistosoma haematobium. It is a neglected tropical disease with Africa responsible for an estimated 90% of all cases requiring treatment. Nigeria is known to be endemic for urinary schistosomiasis with more than 100 million people at risk and about a 25million already infected.
 Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of urinary schistosomiasis among primary school pupils in Jos, Northcentral Nigeria.
 Study Design: A cross-sectional school-based study of 264 primary school pupils in Jos, Northcentral Nigeria.
 Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out in Jos, Northcentral Nigeria between September 2021 and February 2022.
 Methodology: About 50ml of terminal urine samples were collected from each pupil in a sterile, wide-mouth universal container after obtaining consent from their parents and filling out a structured questionnaire. Urinalysis was done on-site using Swe-Care Uric 9V Urinalysis Reagent Strip. The ova of Schistosoma haematobium were identified using microscopy. DNA extraction was done on the positive sample and stored for subsequent sequencing. Statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.
 Results: The eggs of Schistosoma haematobium were observed in 43(16.3%) of 264 urine samples examined. School B had the highest prevalence of 30.8% followed by School A, while School C with the highest number of recruited pupils was responsible for the lowest prevalence rate at 5(7.1%). Males were more infected than females with the age group 11-13 years old accounting for the highest prevalence rate of 15(25.9%). Haematuria and dysuria were found to have a positive correlation with urinary schistosomiasis among the participants.
 Conclusion: The findings of this research revealed that urinary schistosomiasis is still a major concern among primary school pupils in Jos, Northcentral Nigeria. Preventive chemotherapy using praziquantel should be combined with health education and communication strategies to treat and change risky behaviours among infected pupils such as swimming in snail-infested freshwater.