title: Schistosomiasis among pregnant women in rural communities in Nigeria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the epidemiology of urogenital schistosomiasis among pregnant women in rural communities of southwestern Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present cross-sectional epidemiologic survey of urogenital schistosomiasis was conducted during 2010-2011 among pregnant women in Yewa North Local Government, Ogun State, Nigeria. The women were microscopically screened for infection with Schistosoma haematobium.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 313 volunteer participants, 20.8% tested positive for S. haematobium infection. The prevalence of infection was highest (31.5%) among women aged 20-24years. The infection intensity did not differ significantly between age groups (t=1.848, P=0.71). Primigravidae and women in the first trimester of pregnancy had the highest intensity of infection with 33.1 and 27.7 eggs/10mL of urine, respectively. There was an association between disease prevalence and parasite intensity across the age groups (χ(2)=68.82, P=0.02). The prevalence of S. haematobium was not associated with age or pregnancy trimester (P=0.06), but associations existed between intensity of infection and gravidity (P=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of urogenital schistosomiasis among pregnant women in Nigeria was high, with younger women and primigravidae at the greatest risk. These data can be used to develop a schistosomiasis control program among pregnant women in the study area.
authors.affiliation: Parasitology Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. zootund@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Oyetunde T
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Salawu
authors.forename: Alexander B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Odaibo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D020073:Gravidity; D006801:Humans; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011264:Pregnancy Trimesters; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D012548:Schistosoma haematobium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012553:Schistosomiasis haematobia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult