Urogenital Schistosomiasis among School Children in Anambra North Senatorial District, Nigeria

Schistosomiasis though neglected is a disease of public health importance which could lead to serious health challenges even in children. This study determined the prevalence and risk factors of Urogenital Schistosomiasis among School Children in Anambra North Senatorial District, Nigeria. This is a cross-sectional study which applied the simple random sampling technique and included a total of 396 school children from 4 schools. Consent was obtained from parents and school authorities. Ages of individuals sampled ranged from 6-20 years. Structured questionnaires were administered to determine risk factors associated with urogenital schistosomiasis. A total of 210 females and 186 males were sampled. Urine samples were collected in 20ml universal bottles. Urinalysis and microscopy were done for each sample. Egg intensity was grouped into light infection (<50 eggs/10ml) and heavy infection (>50 eggs/10ml). Urinalysis test showed that none of the participants had glucose, ketones, nitrate, or protein in their urine. Haematuria was detected in 4(1.01%) school children. The overall prevalence of urogenital schistosomiasis was 9.1%. Onitsha North LGAhad the highest prevalence of 20.8%, Ogbaru LGA had 8.4% prevalence, while Anambra East LGA had 5.9% prevalence. Twenty-six females (12.4%) and 10 males (5.4%) were positive for S. haematobium eggs via microscopy. Prevalence of S. haematobium was highest in individuals between ages 11-15 (13.88%). Age group 6-10 had the highest egg intensity rate (50%) followed by 16-20years (37.5%) and 11-15 years (10%). The risk factors associated with urogenital schistosomiasis in this study included proximity to stream, lack of good potable water, swimming, bathing, washing, and carrying out certain day-to-day activities at the S. haematobium infected water source. Females visited the stream more than males however, this was not statistically significant (P>0.05). This study has shown the presence of urogenital schistosomiasis among school children in Anambra North Senatorial District.