title: Urban Schistosoma mansoni near Enyau river in Arua town, Uganda.
abstract: Using the Kato Katz method for quantification of parasitic eggs in faeces, 500 individuals aged between 4 and 50 years, living along River Enyau, half a kilometre from Arua town, were studied to assess the prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni in the population. The overall prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni infection was 62%. The infection was highest among school children (71.1%, i.e. 199 out of 280). Villagers who lived along the immediate vicinity of the river had a 62.8% prevalence of infection (98 out of 156). School teachers and the members of their families had the lowest infection rate (20.3% i.e. 13 out of 64). The geometric mean egg output for males and females in the community studied was 203 and 179 eggs per gram of stool, respectively. 206 (41%) out of 500 individuals had mixed infections of S. mansoni and hookworms. The rate of orally transmitted intestinal helminths like Trichuris trichiura was very low (0.8%). Ascaris lumbricoides eggs were not found.
authors.affiliation: Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe.
authors.forename: E I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Odongo-Aginya
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Lakwo
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schweigmann
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schickerling
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lindner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Doehring-Schwerdtfeger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D005618:Fresh Water; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology; D014504:Urban Health