Studies on Schistosoma Haematobium Infection in Primary School Children in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

STUDIES ON Schistosoma haematobium INFECTION
IN PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN ILE-IFE, OSUN STATE, NIGERIA.

Emmanuel Temitope Elegah
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE | OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY ILE-IFE, NIGERIA.
OCTOBER 2005.

ABSTRACT

Urine samples from 99 randomly selected primary school pupils in Ile-Ife were examined for the presence of S. haematobium ova. Thirty (30.3%) of the pupils were infected. Infection rates for male and female pupils (33.3% and 27.1% respectively) were not significantly different (p>0.05). The Overall mean intensity of infection was 11.0 eggs/10ml urine. Male pupils had significantly higher (p<0.05) mean intensity (14.2 eggs/10ml urine) than female pupils (6.7 eggs/10ml urine).
Children between 13 years and 14 years of age had the highest prevalence and intensity of infection (52.6% and 14.6 eggs/10ml urine), while those under 8 years and below had the lowest (5.9% and 1.0 eggs/10ml urine). Seven (7.1%) of the pupils were positive for visible haematuria while 11(11.1%) for subjective haematuria. Water contact activities were more frequent in males (31.4%) than in females (10.4%). There was a positive relationship between prevalence of S. haematobium infection and occupation of parents..

---

---

INTRODUCTION

Schistosoma haematobium belongs to the family Schistosomatidae (Appendix I) and it causes urinary schistosomiasis which is a leading form of human schistosomiasis. Schistosomiasis is a disease more commonly called Bilharziasis. It is also known by many local names such as “red –water fever”, “snail fever”, “big belly” and “katayama disease”(Farley, 1991). It is a major debilitating disease characterized by blood in urine (Anosike et al., 2001) and often chronic. It can lead to secondary infections, kidney damage and even cancer.

Adult male schistosomes are 10mm to 15mm long .The male is actually flat but has the sides of the body rolled ventrally to form a deep groove called gynaecophoric canal in which adult female typically lies. The cuticle of the male is covered with minute papillae. There are many tiny spines on the oral and ventral suckers (which are used to grip venule walls). Adult females are longer (16-22mm), smoother and more slender. Oral and ventral suckers are also present.
The ventral sucker is larger and more muscular in the male than in the female. Eggs, which can be found in the urine of infected hosts, are 110-170µm long by 40 –70µm wide. They are elongated with a distinctive terminal spine. Structures of adult schistosomes have been reviewed by Erasmus (1987). Mature worms live en copula mainly in the tributaries of the inferior mesenteric veins and the females deposit their eggs in the walls of the urinary bladder, ureters or urethra, through which they slowly infiltrate into the urine in which they are passed out. A few eggs, may reach the rectum and appear in the faeces (Symth, 1996).

...CONTINUE READING ► PAGE 2