title: Hematuria and dysuria in the self-diagnosis of urinary schistosomiasis among school-children in Northern Cameroon.
abstract: The present study was designed to assess the value of self reported hematuria and dysuria in the diagnosis of urinary schistosomiasis at the individual level. A sample of 964 school children of grade 5 and 6 from 15 schools of the French speaking educational system in the Sudano-sahelian zone of northern Cameroon were submitted to a questionnaire related to hematuria and dysuria, and provided a urine sample each. The urine samples were processed using the dip stick and sedimentation methods, and the degree of microhematuria and oviuria determined. In all 964 questionnaires were collected, 843 urine samples examined for microhematuria and 871 for oviuria. The percentage of children reporting hematuria increased with the degree of microhematuria and the intensity of infection. Among the various indicators of urinary schistosome infection, microhematuria had the highest sensitivity (76%), followed by self reported hematuria or dysuria (65%), and dysuria (52%). The specificity was highest for self reported hematuria, and lowest for self reported hematuria or dysuria. The efficiency of self reported hematuria or dysuria increased with the intensity of infection and was highest (100%) for heavy infections (> 400 eggs/ml g urine). We advocate the use of self reported hematuria or dysuria for the assessment of S. haematobium at the individual level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine & Biomedical sciences, University of Yaoundé I, B.P. 1364 Yaoundé, Cameroon. itakougang@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Innocent
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Takougang
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meli
authors.forename: Siméon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fotso
authors.forename: Fru
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Angwafo
authors.forename: Raoul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kamajeu
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Ndumbe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D002163:Cameroon; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D053159:Dysuria / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006417:Hematuria / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011934:Reagent Strips; D012548:Schistosoma haematobium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012553:Schistosomiasis haematobia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine*; D012648:Self Care; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D011934:Reagent Strips