Simultaneous use of a sensitive filtration technique and reagent strips in urinary schistosomiasis

A sensitive filtration technique and polyvalent urine analysis reagent strips were used simultaneously in patients with urinary schistosomiasis in order to detect pathological conditions other than haematuria and proteinuria. A significant correlation was found between haematuria, proteinuria, leucocyturia and intensity of infection as measured by egg excretion in urine. The best correlation between the reagent strip findings and intensity of infection was obtained when the three parameters were combined. After treatment with metrifonate the reduction of egg excretion was paralleled by the normalization of the reagent strip findings. Analysis of day-to-day variation demonstrated a similar low variation of the filtration technique and the reagent strip findings. Specificity of urine analysis of reagent strips was tested in two age-matched control groups. Although the study was designed only as a pilot study, the results suggests that polyvalent reagent strips may be a useful tool for diagnosis of heavily infected patients under field conditions, as they permit rapid and easy identification of subjects with high egg counts.