Prevalence and severity of urinary schistosomiasis in Ibadan, Nigeria

A study was carried out on 218 school children, aged 6-15 years; on 38 local dry cleaners, aged 25-47 years; and on 57 vehicle washers, aged 18-28 years, who were in frequent contact with a stream from an abandoned fish farm in Ibadan, Oyo State of Nigeria to determine the presence, prevalence and intensity of urinary schistosomiasis. Of the three categories examined for urinary schistosomiasis, school children had the highest prevalence (21.1%); followed by local dry cleaners at 18.4% and vehicle washers at 15.8%. Males among school children and vehicles washers were more infected at 24.8% and 15.8% respectively, while females among dry cleaners had more infection, 25.9%. Most of infected Nigerians had light infection (less than 50 S. haematobium eggs per 10 ml of urine). Eggs of S. mansoni were detected in urine of two male school children. These data show that prevalence and intensity of urinary schistosomiasis is directly dependent on frequency and duration of water contact and age, but independent of sex.