Background: In recent years, the prevalence of
schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical infection, has increased in underprivileged
rural communities characterized by poverty.
Objective: This cross-sectional community-based study was carried out to determine the prevalence of urinary
schistosomiasis in
a neglected community of Apojola community, South-Western Nigeria at two points in time, spaced three years apart
Method and
results: A total of 145 participants were screened and 44.1% were diagnosed to have urinary
Schistosoma haematobium infection after sedimentation and microscopy. The prevalence of
schistosomiasis among females was higher (45.3%) than
that among males (42.4%) but not significantly different (0.723). The prevalence of participants with light infection (26%) was
significantly higher than those with heavy infection (11.0%). The predisposing factors with statistically significant association
with
Schistosoma haematobium infection were age (0.000), level of education (0.002), eating/selling of snails (0.037), occupation
(0.000), drinking water (0.001), swimming (0.008), and washing in a river (0.019).
Conclusion: These findings indicate that the study area is still endemic to urinary
schistosomiasis after three years of research and
school-age children and teenagers are the populations at risk of urinary
schistosomiasis. Community health education on the cause,
mode of transmission, prevention, and prompt treatment of
schistosomiasis is recommended.
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v19i1.5
Cite as: Otuneme OG, Obebe OO, Sajobi TT, Akinleye WA, Faloye TG. Prevalence of Schistosomiasis in a neglected community, South western
Nigeria at two points in time, spaced three years apart. Afri Health Sci. 2019;19(1): 1338-1345. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v19i1.5 
