Schistosoma Haematobium Infection Research Articles

Evaluating the Performance of FlukeCatcher at Detecting Urogenital Schistosomiasis.

Urine filtration microscopy (UFM) lacks sensitivity in detecting low-intensity Schistosoma haematobium infections. In pursuit of a superior alternative, this study evaluated the performance of FlukeCatcher microscopy (FCM) at detecting S. haematobium eggs in human urine samples. Urine samples were collected from 572 school-age children in Afar, Ethiopia in July 2023 and examined using UFM and FCM approaches. Using the combined UFM and FCM results as a reference, the sensitivity, negative predictive value, and agreement levels for the two testing methods in detecting S. haematobium eggs in urine samples were calculated. The sensitivity and negative predictive value of detecting S. haematobium eggs in urine samples for FCM was 84% and 97%, respectively, compared to 65% and 93% for UFM. The FCM test results had an agreement of 61% with the UFM results, compared to 90% with the combined results of FCM and UFM. However, the average egg count estimates were lower when using FCM (6.6 eggs per 10 mL) compared to UFM (14.7 eggs per 10 mL) (p < 0.0001). Incorporating FCM into specimen processing could improve the diagnosis of S. haematobium infection but may underperform in characterizing the intensity of infection.

Immunochromatography Lateral Flow Strip Enhancement Based on Passive Gold Nanoparticles Conjugation to Detect Schistosma haematobium Antigens in Human Serum.

This study aimed to develop and evaluate a lateral flow card for the detection of active Schistosoma haematobium infection. In order to prepare the immunochromatography lateral flow strip (ICLFS), antibodies purified from schistosomiasis were conjugated passively with gold nanoparticles using a potassium carbonate buffer. The novel ICLFS was able to correctly identify 64 out of 67 samples of schistosomiasis, 6 out of 90 samples of other parasites, and 0 out of 27 control samples. Sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV) were 95.5%, 93.3%, 90%, and 91.4% respectively. Comparatively, the sensitivity, specificity, NPV, and PPV of sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) conjugated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were 91.1%, 88.8%, 85.9%, and 84.4% respectively. The increased sensitivity and specificity of ICLFS produced superior results to those of sandwich ELISA. In conclusion, ICLFS is more beneficial and precise than sandwich ELISA for detection of S. haematobium infection at early stage.

Clinical usefulness of urinary symptoms and urinalysis in diagnosis of Schistosoma haematobium infection in an endemic area in Southern Nigeria: descriptive study

Background: Schistosoma haematobium infection occurs worldwide with the largest number of cases seen in sub-Saharan Africa. Most of the infections are acquired during childhood and are linked to urogenital diseases which contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality. A study on the use of urinary symptoms, signs and urinalysis in the diagnosis of S. haematobium infection might aid in providing early, prompt and rapid intervention that will limit associated complications. Methods: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional of 421 children aged 6-12 years in Ohaukwu LGA, Ebonyi State, recruited from four public primary schools using multistage sampling method. Urinary symptoms and signs were obtained using a questionnaire; urine samples were collected for urinalysis and urine microscopy. Simple proportions and odds ratio (CI) were used to analyze the data. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were calculated for various symptoms and signs. The data was analyzed with IBM-SPSS 20. Significance was set at p&lt;0.05. Results: The prevalence of S. haematobium infection among school children in Ohaukwu LGA was 30.17%. Visible blood in urine 71.77% and dysuria 70.16% were the predominant symptoms while liver tenderness 8.87% was the most common sign. The sensitivity vs specificity of visible blood in urine and microscopic haematuria were 71.77% vs 94.43% and 100.00% vs 97.21% respectively. Conclusions: Microscopic haematuria alone was highly sensitive and specific and can be a reliable alternative to the gold standard in making diagnosis of S. haematobium infection in children living in this endemic region.

Antibody response to malaria vaccine candidates in pregnant women with Plasmodium falciparum and Schistosoma haematobium infections.

Malaria in pregnancy has severe consequences for the mother and foetus. Antibody response to specific malaria vaccine candidates (MVC) has been associated with a decreased risk of clinical malaria and its outcomes. We studied Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) and Schistosoma haematobium (Sh) infections and factors that could influence antibody responses to MVC in pregnant women. A total of 337 pregnant women receiving antenatal care (ANC) and 139 for delivery participated in this study. Pf infection was detected by qPCR and Sh infection using urine filtration method. Antibody levels against CSP, AMA-1, GLURP-R0, VAR2CSA and Pfs48/45 MVC were quantified by ELISA. Multivariable linear regression models identified factors associated with the modulation of antibody responses. The prevalence of Pf and Sh infections was 27% and 4% at ANC and 7% and 4% at delivery. Pf infection, residing in Adidome and multigravidae were positively associated with specific IgG response to CSP, AMA-1, GLURP-R0 and VAR2CSA. ITN use and IPTp were negatively associated with specific IgG response to GLURP-R0 and Pfs48/45. There was no association between Sh infection and antibody response to MVC at ANC or delivery. Pf infections in pregnant women were positively associated with antibody response to CSP, GLURP-R0 and AMA-1. Antibody response to GLURP-R0 and Pfs48/45 was low for IPTp and ITN users. This could indicate a lower exposure to Pf infection and low malaria prevalence observed at delivery.

Clinical and Demographic Factors Associated With Kaposi Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Shedding in Saliva or Cervical Secretions in a Cohort of Tanzanian Women.

Reasons for the high prevalence of Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) in sub-Saharan Africa, and risk factors leading to viral reactivation and shedding, remain largely undefined. Preliminary studies have suggested that schistosome infection, which has been associated with impaired viral control, is associated with KSHV. In this study we sought to determine the relationship between active Schistosoma mansoni or Schistosoma haematobium infection and KSHV shedding. We quantified KSHV DNA in saliva and cervical swabs from 2 cohorts of women living in northwestern Tanzanian communities endemic for S mansoni or S haematobium by real-time polymerase chain reaction. χ2 and Fisher exact tests were used to determine differences in clinical and demographic factors between those who were and were not shedding KSHV. Among 139 total women, 44.6% were KSHV seropositive. Six percent of those with S mansoni and 17.1% of those with S haematobium were actively shedding KSHV in saliva and none in cervical samples. Women from the S mansoni cohort who were shedding virus reported infertility more frequently (80% vs 19.5%, P = .009). There was no difference in frequency of KSHV salivary shedding between schistosome-infected and -uninfected women. In an area with high KSHV seroprevalence and endemic schistosome infections, we provide the first report with data demonstrating no association between schistosome infection and salivary or cervical herpesvirus shedding. KSHV salivary shedding was associated with infertility, a known effect of another herpesvirus, human herpesvirus 6.

Diagnostic tests for human Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma haematobium infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Accurate diagnosis is pivotal for implementing strategies for surveillance, control, and elimination of schistosomiasis. Despite their low sensitivity in low-endemicity areas, microscopy-based urine filtration and the Kato-Katz technique are considered as reference diagnostic tests for Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma mansoni infections, respectively. We aimed to collate all available evidence on the accuracy of other proposed diagnostic techniques. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and LILACS for studies published from database inception to Dec 31, 2022, investigating the sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic tests for S haematobium and S mansoni infections against Kato-Katz thick smears or urine microscopy (reference tests) involving adults (aged ≥18 years), school-aged children (aged 7 to 18 years), or preschool-aged children (aged 1 month to 7 years). We extracted raw data on true positives, true negatives, false positives, and false negatives for the diagnostic tests and data on the number of participants, study authors, publication year, journal, study design, participants' age and sex, prevalence of Schistosoma infection, and treatment status. To account for imperfect reference tests, we used a hierarchical Bayesian latent class meta-analysis to model test accuracy. Overall, we included 121 studies, assessing 28 different diagnostic techniques. Most studies (103 [85%] of 121) were done in Africa, 14 (12%) in South America, one (1%) in Asia, and one (1%) in an unknown country. Compared with the reference test, Kato-Katz thick smears, circulating cathodic antigen urine cassette assay version 1 (CCA1, 36 test comparisons) had excellent sensitivity (95% [95% credible interval 88-99]) and reasonable specificity (74% [63-83]) for S mansoni. ELISA-based tests had a performance comparable to circulating cathodic antigen, but there were few available test comparisons. For S haematobium, proteinuria (42 test comparisons, sensitivity 73% [62-82]; specificity 94% [89-98]) and haematuria (75 test comparisons, sensitivity 85% [80-90]; specificity 96% [92-99]) reagent strips showed high specificity, with haematuria reagent strips having better sensitivity. Despite limited data, nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs; eg, PCR or loop-mediated isothermal amplification [LAMP]) showed promising results with sensitivity estimates above 90%. We found an unclear risk of bias of about 70% in the use of the reference or index tests and of 50% in patient selection. All analyses showed substantial heterogeneity (I2>80%). Although NAATs and immunological diagnostics show promise, the limited information available precludes drawing definitive conclusions. Additional research on diagnostic accuracy and cost-effectiveness is needed before the replacement of conventional tests can be considered. WHO and Luxembourg Institute of Health.

Minimum service package for the integration of female genital schistosomiasis in sexual and reproductive health services in Kenya

Female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) is caused by chronic Schistosoma hematobium infection. Over 56 million women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa are estimated to be infected with FGS. However, gaps in knowledge of the symptomatology of FGS often lead to misdiagnosis and undertreatment. FGS presents with nonspecific genital symptoms and is likely to be misdiagnosed as a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Recurrent treatment for STIs may result in marital discord, intimate partner violence, and social stigma. Other FGS complications include ectopic pregnancy, infertility, urine incontinence, 3-4-fold increased susceptibility to HIV infection, and persistence of human papillomavirus infection (HPV). A minimum service package (MSP) that is acceptable and feasible for the integration of FGS and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services is needed. A foundational literature review was conducted to identify service points for FGS and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service integration. The final MSP was developed through collaborative efforts with stakeholders in various fields associated with FGS and SRH services. The MSP identified four key areas for successful integration of FGS into SRH services including: health literacy, screening and diagnosis, treatment and care, and social inclusion and equity at the community and healthcare facility level. A context-specific integration MSP may be the most efficient, effective, and ethical way to comprehensively address the burden of FGS faced by women and girls in Africa.

A Tale of Mummified Eggs in Urine of a US Veteran

Abstract Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that remains a major threat to global health. Schistosoma is known to cause chronic urogenital infections with an increased risk of bladder carcinomas. We present a case of chronic latent Schistosoma haematobium infection in a US veteran identified several years after his active military duty in Iraq and Kuwait. This case highlights the need for proactive screening of returning veterans from endemic areas. It also leads us to wonder how many infected veterans remain undiagnosed, and how many of those who develop urothelial carcinomas had prior exposure to schistosomiasis during their service.

Epidemiology and Molecular Study of Schistosoma haematobium Infection Among People in Riverine Communities of Sokoto State, Nigeria

Microscopic examination of urine samples from individuals has long been regarded as the gold standard for diagnosing Schistosoma haematobium infection in Nigeria. However, the reliability of this method has been questioned. In light of this, the present study was designed to conduct an Epidemiology and Molecular Study of S. haematobium Infection Among People in Riverine Communities of Sokoto State. A total of 900 urine samples were collected. These samples underwent microscopic examination after filtration. Positive samples underwent DNA extraction, followed by PCR analysis to detect the presence of Schistosoma haematobium at 121 base pairs. Microscopically, 315 out of 900 samples (35.0%) tested positive for Schistosoma haematobium, with a mean egg intensity of 45.3 eggs per 10 mL of urine. The prevalence was notably high among fishermen (57.1%), individuals using any available water source (100.0%), visitors to freshwater bodies (37.7%), those residing very close to freshwater bodies (41.5%), and individuals who urinated indiscriminately (70.0%). The intensity of infection was significantly elevated among housewives (56.5%), visitors to freshwater bodies (58.7%), and individuals who urinated directly into freshwater bodies (57.2%). PCR analysis further confirmed the presence of Schistosoma haematobium in 87.6% of the samples previously analyzed microscopically. Infection rates were particularly significant among fishermen (98.2%), individuals using rivers as their water source (99.1%), visitors to freshwater bodies (89.8%), swimmers (97.8%), those residing very close to freshwater bodies (98.6%), and individuals who urinated directly into freshwater bodies (98.9%). The study revealed that microscopic examination alone may not be entirely effective in the study area. Therefore, the adoption of binary diagnosis methods is strongly recommended for more efficient detection of Schistosoma haematobium in the State.

Baseline soil-transmitted helminth and schistosome infection in the Geshiyaro project, Ethiopia: A unique transmission interruption project using biometric fingerprinting for longitudinal individual analysis.

The Geshiyaro project aims to assess the feasibility of interrupting transmission of soil-transmitted helminths (STH) and schistosome (SCH) infection in the Wolaita zone of southern Ethiopia through high coverage community-wide mass drug administration (MDA), in combination with improved water, sanitation, and hygiene services and behaviour change communication delivered through the existing health care infrastructure. To accurately measure treatment coverage a population census was conducted enrolling individuals with biometric fingerprinting and barcoded ID cards. This paper details the baseline census and parasitology surveys conducted before the start of any interventions. The census was conducted in five of the 15 Wolaita districts between October 2018 and December 2019, enrolling all consenting participants from every household. Simultaneously, a cross-sectional parasitology survey was conducted in 130 out of 361 randomly selected communities from all 15 districts, with 100 individuals across all age groups (infant to adult) per community providing stool and urine for analysis by duplicate Kato-Katz and a point-of-care circulating cathodic antigen (POC-CCA) to test for Schistosoma mansoni and STH, and microhaematuria and urine filtration for Schistosoma haematobium. Of the 130 communities, 30 were randomly selected for annual, longitudinal parasitological monitoring, with 150 randomly selected individuals from infant to adult providing two days of stool and urine samples for analysis by the same diagnostic tests per community. In total 97,919 households participated in the baseline census enrolling 466,071 individuals, with parasitological data obtained from 10,785 people. At baseline, 15.5% were infected with at least one STH species, with Ascaris lumbricoides (9.5%), followed by hookworm (7.2%) and Trichuris trichiura (1.8%). Substantial heterogeneity in STH prevalence was observed between communities ranging from 0% to 61% where most infections were low intensity. Schistosoma mansoni infection was the dominant schistosome infection (0.85% by Kato-Katz and 13.3% by POC-CCA trace negative and 21.5% trace positive), with few Schistosoma haematobium infections identified (2.77% haematuria positive and 0.13% positive by urine filtration). While the national control program in Ethiopia has made good progress in reducing prevalence of STH and SCH in Wolaita since it was launched in 2015, there remain areas of persistent infection suggesting the existence of environmental or behavioural risk factors that contribute to ongoing transmission. This project aims to identify the most efficient intervention strategies to reduce community burden and reach interruption of transmission.

Case Report: Three cases of suspected female genital schistosomiasis and precancerous lesions for cervical cancer in a highly endemic country—from clinical management to public health implications

Female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) is a chronic manifestation of schistosomiasis, usually caused by Schistosoma haematobium infection, which can be responsible for infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and abortion, and is associated with an increased prevalence of HIV infection. No screening programs are currently recommended for FGS. Colposcopy, the conventionally suggested diagnostic tool for FGS, is also considered a crucial screening tool for cervical cancer (CC). We performed an experimental screening via colposcopy for FGS at primary healthcare centers (PHCCs) in the Boeny region of Madagascar, allowing for the detection of patients with both FGS signs and HPV-related dysplasia (HPV-dy). All suspected FGS cases were treated with praziquantel on the day of colposcopy, and all images of suspected CC or HPV-dy were re-assessed by a gynecologist and, if needed, patients were then provided with additional colposcopy for histologic diagnosis and treatment. We describe three cases of FGS and HPV-related precancerous lesions detected during the project, discussing the state of art of the relationship between CC, FGS and HPV and the real-life challenges encountered in terms of both patient compliance and the diagnostic and treatment cascade. Despite the current diagnostic limitations, a screening for FGS via colposcopy may contribute to the early identification of CC or precancerous lesions. The addition of visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) during colposcopy for FGS screening could improve its impact on CC screening. In addition, although there is limited evidence of the effectiveness of praziquantel in FGS, treatment should in any case be proposed for suspicious lesions, given its safety and ease of administration. The benefit of combined screening could be maximised by increasing the availability of good quality services and improve awareness of both diseases among women

Schistosoma haematobium infection and morbidity risk factors for pre-school age children in western Angola: A knowledge, attitudes and practices survey.

Urogenital schistosomiasis is one of the most prevalent parasitic diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. It is a poverty-related disease conditioned by behavioural practices. Our objective is to evaluate the awareness, mindset and habits about urogenital schistosomiasis in the community of Cubal (Angola), as well as its association with infection and urinary tract morbidity in pre-school age children. A cross-sectional study of knowledge, attitudes and practices at home was conducted between February and May 2022 with 250 participants. Overall, 93.6% of those surveyed had some prior knowledge about schistosomiasis and, among all the symptoms associated with this disease, blood in the urine was the best known (54.4%). Nevertheless, 57.6% obtained a medium knowledge score. Regarding attitude, the majority of respondents had a high attitude score (79.2%) with 96.0% willing to participate in mass drug administration campaigns. Laundry in the river was the most common risk practice (61.2%) and 55.2% out of the total were classified with a low practice score. Low knowledge about symptoms and transmission by caregivers was the outstanding risk factor for infection in pre-school age children (OR = 16.93, 95%CI: 3.93-72.82), and lack of knowledge that avoiding entering the river prevents schistosomiasis was the main risk factor for morbidity in PSAC (OR = 8.14, 95%CI: 1.14-58.25).

Malaria, Urogenital Schistosomiasis, and Anaemia in Pregnant Ghanaian Women.

Anaemia is common in sub-Saharan Africa, and parasitic infections could worsen its burden during pregnancy. Moreover, women become susceptible to malaria during pregnancy. We investigated Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) and Schistosoma haematobium (S. haematobium) infections and determined their association with anaemia during pregnancy. A cross-sectional study involving 707 pregnant women attending antenatal care visits (ANC) and 446 at delivery was conducted in Battor and Adidome hospitals. Pregnant women were screened by microscopy and qPCR for P. falciparum and S. haematobium infections. Haemoglobin (Hb) levels were determined, and most participants received intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy (IPTp) during ANC till delivery. Regression analyses were performed for associations between parasite infection and anaemia. P. falciparum microscopy prevalence at ANC and delivery was 8% and 2%, respectively, and by PCR 24% at ANC and 12% at delivery. Anaemia prevalence at ANC was 52% and 49% at delivery. There was an increased risk of anaemia with P. falciparum infection (aOR = 1.92; p = 0.04). IPTp (p = 0.003) and age (p = 0.004) were associated with increased Hb levels at delivery. S. haematobium prevalence by microscopy was 4% at ANC and 2% at delivery. No significant correlation between S. haematobium and Hb levels was observed (coef. = -0.62 g/dl; p = 0.07). High anaemia prevalence was observed during pregnancy, and P. falciparum infection was associated with anaemia at ANC. Low S. haematobium prevalence could be attributed to previous praziquantel treatment during mass drug administration. Routine diagnosis and treatment of S. haematobium infections in endemic areas could be initiated to reduce schistosomiasis during pregnancy.

Urinogenital schistosomiasis knowledge, attitude, practices, and its clinical correlates among communities along water bodies in the Kwahu Afram Plains North District, Ghana.

Adequate knowledge and proper practices coupled with knowledge of the burden of disease are necessary for the eradication of Schistosoma infection. This study assessed knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) as well as health outcomes related to Schistosoma haematobium infection at Kwahu Afram Plains North District (KAPND). A cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire was carried out among 140 participants from four local communities in KAPND in August 2021. From these participants, 10ml of urine was collected for determination of the presence of S. haematobium and urine routine examination. In addition, 4ml of blood was collected and used for haematological examination. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis using IBM SPSS were used to describe and represent the data collected. The study reports a gap in knowledge about schistosomiasis in the study area with the majority indicating that they have not heard of schistosomiasis (60.7%), do not know the mode of transmission (49.3%), and do not know how the disease could be spread (51.5%). The overall prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis was 52.9%. This was associated with age, occupation, perceived mode of Schistosoma transmission, knowledge of Schistosoma prevention, awareness that schistosomiasis can be treated, frequency of visits to water bodies, and water usage patterns. In multivariate analysis, factors that remained significantly associated with S. haematobium infection were age 21-40 (OR = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.06-0.76), 41-60 (OR = 0.01, 95% CI: 0.01-0.52) and ≥ 60 (OR = 0.02, 95% CI: 0.02-0.87), informal employment (OR = 0.01, 95% CI: 0.01-0.69) and awareness of transmission by drinking water from river body (OR = 0.03, 95% CI: 0.03-0.92). In Schistosoma infection, reduced haemoglobin, haematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, lymphocytes and eosinophils were observed. White blood cells, neutrophils, and monocytes were significantly elevated in infected states. Urine analysis revealed high pus cells and red blood cells counts among Schistosoma-positive participants. Schistosoma infection is endemic among inhabitants in KAPND, and is associated with a gap in knowledge, awareness, and practice possibly due to inadequate education in the area. Poor clinical outcomes associated with Schistosoma infection have been demonstrated in the area. A well-structured public education, nutritional intervention, and mass drug administration will be necessary to eradicate this menace.

Urogenital Schistosomiasis in Likomba Community, Fako Division, South West Region, Cameroon

Background: Urogenital Schistosomasis (US) is the second most neglected tropical disease to malaria. It is estimated that about 600-700 million people Worldwide are at risk of contracting this disease. In Cameroon more than 5million people are at the risk of infection. Clinical manifestations of US include haematuria, dysuria, lower abdominal pain and bladder cancer. Praziquantel is the drug of choice.&#x0D; Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of Urogenital Schistosomiais in Likomba community in Fako Division.&#x0D; Methods: A community based cross- sectional study was carried out from February till March 2020. A structured questionnaire was administered to 363 participants through a convenient sampling technique. We obtained information on socio-demographic data, clinical history of the participants, knowledge of the disease and other risk factors associated with Urogenital Schistosomiasis. Urine samples were collected to detect Schistosoma haematobium eggs using the centrifugation technique. Data was collected and analyzed using statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 24.&#x0D; Results: Out of the 363 participants a total of 101 tested positive to Schistosoma haematobium infection having and overall prevalence of 27.8%. The most infected age group ranged from 5 - 13 years which had a prevalence of 49.5% while the least infected age group found within ≥ 47 years had a prevalence of 9.9%. The prevalence of US in females was 63.4% which was higher than that of males 36.6%, this difference was not statistically significant (P&gt;0.05).The risk factors associated with US included; the availability of tap water (P&lt;0.05), the source of drinking (P&lt;0.05), number of times they go the stream (Ndongo) (P&lt;0.005) and various sites of taking their bath (P&gt;0.05).&#x0D; Conclusion: This study revealed that US is still very prevalent among the inhabitants of Likomba community, therefore there is a need for the government and community health workers to re-inforce health education, ensure the provision of adequate pipe born water and campaign strategies which will educate and significantly help reduce the prevalence of the disease in this area.

How do disease control measures impact spatial predictions of schistosomiasis and hookworm? The example of predicting school-based prevalence before and after preventive chemotherapy in Ghana.

Schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminth infections are among the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affecting primarily marginalized communities in low- and middle-income countries. Surveillance data for NTDs are typically sparse, and hence, geospatial predictive modeling based on remotely sensed (RS) environmental data is widely used to characterize disease transmission and treatment needs. However, as large-scale preventive chemotherapy has become a widespread practice, resulting in reduced prevalence and intensity of infection, the validity and relevance of these models should be re-assessed. We employed two nationally representative school-based prevalence surveys of Schistosoma haematobium and hookworm infections from Ghana conducted before (2008) and after (2015) the introduction of large-scale preventive chemotherapy. We derived environmental variables from fine-resolution RS data (Landsat 8) and examined a variable distance radius (1-5 km) for aggregating these variables around point-prevalence locations in a non-parametric random forest modeling approach. We used partial dependence and individual conditional expectation plots to improve interpretability of results. The average school-level S. haematobium prevalence decreased from 23.8% to 3.6% and that of hookworm from 8.6% to 3.1% between 2008 and 2015. However, hotspots of high-prevalence locations persisted for both infections. The models with environmental data extracted from a buffer radius of 2-3 km around the school location where prevalence was measured had the best performance. Model performance (according to the R2 value) was already low and declined further from approximately 0.4 in 2008 to 0.1 in 2015 for S. haematobium and from approximately 0.3 to 0.2 for hookworm. According to the 2008 models, land surface temperature (LST), modified normalized difference water index, elevation, slope, and streams variables were associated with S. haematobium prevalence. LST, slope, and improved water coverage were associated with hookworm prevalence. Associations with the environment in 2015 could not be evaluated due to low model performance. Our study showed that in the era of preventive chemotherapy, associations between S. haematobium and hookworm infections and the environment weakened, and thus predictive power of environmental models declined. In light of these observations, it is timely to develop new cost-effective passive surveillance methods for NTDs as an alternative to costly surveys, and to focus on persisting hotspots of infection with additional interventions to reduce reinfection. We further question the broad application of RS-based modeling for environmental diseases for which large-scale pharmaceutical interventions are in place.

Human Water Contact Behaviour and Schistosoma haematobium Infection among Almajiri School Children in Kurfi Local Government Area of Katsina State, Nigeria

Urinary schistosomiasis is caused by a parasitic flatworm (Schistosoma haematobium) commonly called blood fluke which infects humans and causes public health problems. The study was conducted to determine the current status of human water contact behaviour and Schistosoma haematobium infection among Almajiri school children in Kurfi local area of Katsina State, Nigeria. Questionnaires were administered to 367 randomly selected Almajiris to assess the risk factors and to identify the relationship between human water contact and the infection of urinary schistosomiasis. Parasitological analysis was also used to determine the prevalence and intensity of infection among the Almajiri. Out of 367 sampled tested 161 were positive. The prevalence is significantly higher in Kofar Yamma Almajiri School with 51(47.66%) when compared to other schools and there is no significant relationship between human water contact and the infection in the study area due to the absence of intermediate host snail found in the study area.

Prevalence and correlates of Schistosoma haematobium infections among school going-children aged 5 to 17 years in Kawama, Ndola, Zambia.

schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease and remains a disease of public health concern. Despite its relative importance, paucity of information on schistosomiasis in urban settings such as Ndola remains. Here, we present findings on the prevalence and factors associated with Schistosoma haematobium (S. haematobium) infections among School-going children in the Kawama in Ndola district in Zambia, an urban area in the Copperbelt Province, Zambia. we employed a cross-sectional study design among 354 school going-children between 5 and 17 years of age between November 2020 and February 2021. A Multivariate forward step-wise logistic regression model was used to determine the associations of risk factors. Adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals are reported. of the 354 school-going children included in the analysis, 13.3% had S. haematobium infection. Children who swam in the stream/dam were more likely to have S. haematobium infection as compared to those who did not (aOR 6.531, 95% CI: 2.90-14.69). S. haematobium infection is endemic among school-going children in an urban setup of the Kawama area of Ndola City, Zambia. There is a need for targeted interventions to mitigate infections among this population.

Schistosoma hematobium infection is associated with significantly reduced lipid profile parameters in West Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Despite being a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Africa and other continents, studies have shown that infection with Schistosoma haematobium is associated with improved host metabolic homeostasis. There is however little consolidated evidence on the overall effect of S. haematobium on the lipid profile of infected individuals. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effect of schistosomiasis on lipid profile in West Africa. This review employed the PRISMA guidelines for conducting and reporting systematic reviews. Employing ‘free terms’ and ‘indexed terms’ funnelled using the Boolean operators OR and AND, we conducted a literature search in MEDLINE via PubMed and Scopus as well as Google Scholar between June 21 to June 26, 2022 for case-control, cross-sectional, and prospective or retrospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials that have reported lipid profile derangements among individuals infected with S. haematobium between January 1, 1980 to December 31, 2021 in West Africa. Data on continuous outcomes were presented using the weighted mean difference (WMD) between cases and controls and the effect estimates (mean difference) of each study with the pooled effects estimate plotted using forest plots. Due to observed large heterogeneity, the random effects model was used whereas the DerSimonian-Laird random effects method was used as the between study variance estimator in estimating the pooled effect estimate and its confidence interval. A P-value of &lt; 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The MedCalc statistical software version 14 and OpenMeta [Analyst] meta-analysis tools were used for the meta-analysis. The results showed an overall pooled WMD in the levels of HDL-C, LDL-C and TC between S. haematobium infected cases and control cases as -0.188 (95%CI: -0.41 to 0.03) mmol/L, -0.88 (95% CI: -2.63 to 0.86) mmol/L and -0.447 (95% CI: -0.88 to -0.01) mmol/L and a pooled raw mean difference of -0.32 (95%CI: -0.43 to -0.29) mmol/L for TG levels; substantial difference was only observed for TG and TC levels. The evidence from this review indicates a lowering effect of S. haematobium infection on serum lipids particularly TC and TG levels of human host in West African. Studies are required to elucidate the regulatory pathways and biomarkers responsible for these alterations for utilization as prognostic markers and to understand the pathophysiology and the long-term pathophysiologic effect of S. haematobium infection on the host system.

Impact of Schistosoma hematobium infection on host haematological profile parameters in West Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Schistosoma haematobium infection is linked to abnormalities in the haematological parameters of infected hosts, according to research, and is a significant source of morbidity and mortality in Africa and other continents. However, there is little conclusive data regarding S. haematobium's overall impact on the host haematological profile of infected people. In order to evaluate the impact of schistosomiasis on the haematological profile in West Africa, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis. The PRISMA recommendations for performing and reporting systematic reviews were followed in this study. Between June 21 and June 26, 2022, we conducted a literature search in MEDLINE via PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar for case-control, cross-sectional, prospective or retrospective cohort studies, and randomized controlled trials that have reported haematological profile derangements among individuals infected with S. haematobium between January 1, 1980, and December 31 2021, using "free terms" and "indexed terms" funneled using the Boolean operators OR and AND. The weighted mean difference (WMD) between cases and controls and the effect estimates (mean difference) of each research with the pooled effects estimate depicted using forest plots were used to present data on continuous outcomes. The DerSimonian-Laird random effects approach was utilized as the between study variance estimator in generating the pooled effect estimate and its confidence interval due to the substantial observed heterogeneity. A 0.05 p-value was regarded as statistically significant. The meta-analysis was conducted using the OpenMeta [Analyst] meta-analysis tools and MedCalc statistical software, version 14. The cases with S. haematobium infection had decreased hemoglobin (Hb) levels by a pooled estimate of 0.33 g/dl (95% CI: -0.88 to 0.22 g/dl) which was not significantly different when compared to S. haematobium-free control groups (p = 0.24). S. haematobium elevated the total white blood cells (tWBC) count by 0.48 x 103cell/L (95% CI: 0.02 to 0.94 x 103cell/L), albeit this increase was not statistically significant (p=0.074). The estimated platelet count difference was 18.18 cells x 109/L (95% CI= -1.53 to 37.89 cells x 109/L), which suggests that although not statistically significant, S. haematobium-infected subjects had higher platelet counts than their uninfected groups. Studies are needed to understand the pathophysiology and long-term pathophysiologic effects of S. haematobium infection on the host system, as well as to identify the regulatory pathways and biomarkers responsible for the observed but not statistically significant haematological abnormalities. Meanwhile, additional and intensified study targeted at determining the influence of the infection on host haematological profile is advocated for a continent burdened by such unfavourable effects as the impact of S. haematobium infections. &nbsp;