[Urinary bilharziasis and sideropenic anemia. Study of their relation in 2 villages in Niger]

In order to assess Schistosoma haematobium as an aetiologic factor in sideropenic anaemias, we compared a village with high prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis and a village without urinary schistosomiasis as a control. In the infested village, anaemias (haemoglobin value lower than 12 g/dl) especially affects children between 5 to 14 years old (71%:45/68). Boys being the most infestated group with S. haematobium (prevalence:100%; mean egg output: 496 eggs/10 ml of urine) are also the most anaemic group (82%:23/28). Comparing the two villages shows that urinary schistosomiasis increases the risk of acquiring anaemia by 30% among children aged 5 to 14. Furthermore, the parasitic disease reduces of 1 g/dl the mean haemoglobin level of adult males. On the other hand, S. haematobium is of minor importance as a cause of anaemia among women. The others aetiologies remain preponderant.