title: Prevalence of Schistosoma intercalatum and S. haematobium Infection among Primary Schoolchildren in Capital Areas of Democratic Republic Of São Tomé and Príncipe, West Africa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A parasitological survey of Schistosoma haematobium and S. intercalatum infection among primary schoolchildren in capital area of Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe (DRSTP) was undertaken.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects with positive infection were confirmed by the detection of S. haematobium ova in the urine or S. intercalatum ova in the stool by using centrifugation concentration or merthiolate-iodine-formalin concentration method. Totally, 252 urine and stool samples, respectively, were obtained from apparently healthy schoolchildren, of which 121 from boys (9.8 ± 1.4 yr) and 131 from girls (9.7 ± 1.3 yr).
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of participating schoolchildren were found having S. haematobium ova in the urinary specimen. While, among 4 primary schools studied, only schoolchildren from Saint Marçal were detected with S. intercalatum ova in the fecal specimen, making the overall prevalence of S. intercalatum infection among schoolchildren was 2.4% (6/252) and girls had insignificantly higher prevalence (3.1%, 4/131) than that (1.7%, 2/121) in boys (χ(2) = 0.5, P = 0.5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Water control and sanitation as well as snails eliminated by molluscicides are urgently needed to reduce S. intercalatum infection in DRSTP inhabitants.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Care Administration, College of Public Health & Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tb
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Cw
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Yc
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yt
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Asrj
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Dd
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nara
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsubouchi
authors.forename: Peter Ws
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Wt
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Ck
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fan
keywords: Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe; Schistosomiasis; Schoolchildren; West Africa