title: Prevalence and epidemiology of Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium infection in two areas of Egypt recently reclaimed from the desert.
abstract: Projects are being carried out in many regions of Egypt to reclaim land from the desert for agriculture. This paper presents findings from a baseline epidemiologic study conducted in 1992 in two newly reclaimed areas near Ismailia, Egypt. In the first area, just east of the Suez Canal, 40.0% of the residents tested positive for Schistosoma mansoni and 1.7% tested positive for S. haematobium, while in the second area, 15 km southwest of Ismailia, 49.3% tested positive for S. mansoni and 3.3% tested positive for S. haematobium. The intensities of S. mansoni infection were moderately high, with a geometric mean egg count of 76 eggs/gram of feces among positive individuals in the first area, and 100 eggs/gram of feces in the second area. When compared with a previous study conducted in 1985, the prevalence of S. mansoni infection in the first area has increased from 21.7% to 42.1% among settlers in the last seven years, while that of S. haematobium has decreased from 7.8% to 1.7%. These trends may result from changes in irrigation practices or other alterations in the local environment. There is a risk of schistosomiasis becoming a major public health problem in reclaimed areas if adequate control measures are not taken.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: el-Sayed
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Rizkalla
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mehanna
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Abaza
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Winch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000383:Agriculture; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003889:Desert Climate; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D005618:Fresh Water; D006417:Hematuria / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D015995:Prevalence; D011934:Reagent Strips; D012553:Schistosomiasis haematobia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014556:Urine / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D011934:Reagent Strips