title: Prevalence, intensity of infection and risk factors of urinary schistosomiasis in pre-school and school aged children in Guma Local Government Area, Nigeria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence and intensity of infection and the risk factors associated with urinary schistosomiasis in pre-school and school aged children in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urine filtration technique using polycarbonate membrane filters was employed to process urine specimens and to determine presence of Schistosoma haematobium eggs in urine. Questionnaires were also administered to children to collect information on socio-demographic data and water-contact activities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An overall prevalence of 55.0% (165/300) was recorded out of the 300 urine samples examined. Prevalence of infection varied between 36.0%-64.0% with a significant difference (χ(2)= 11.59, P=0.041) between the different communities visited. Males were more infected (60.6%, 103/170) than females (47.7%, 62/130) with a significant difference (χ(2)= 4.95, P=0.026). The age-related prevalence showed higher prevalence (70.5%, 36/52) in the 11-15 year old children than that in the 1-5 year old ones (44.9%, 53/118). A significant difference was observed in the prevalence between the age groups (χ(2)=10.56, P=0.014). The prevalence of light intensity of infection (1-49 eggs/10 mL of urine) (86.6%) was significantly higher than that of heavy intensity of infection (≥50 eggs/10 mL of urine) (13.3%) in the area (t=16.48, P=0.000). Water contact activities of the children revealed that children that were involved in irrigation and those that went swimming in water bodies were observed to be at higher risk of becoming infected with urinary schistosomiasis in the area with odd ratios (risk factors) of 2.756 (1.334-5.693) and 2.366 (1.131-4.948) respectively at P<0.05 level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study revealed the hyperendemicity of urinary schistosomiasis in the pre-school and school aged children in Guma Local Government Area. It is therefore recommended that praziquantel should be administered to children in the area and systematic epidemiological studies should be undertaken in the whole Local Government Area and the State at large to discover new foci of infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Agriculture Makurdi, P.M.B 2373 Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: E U
authors.initials: EU
authors.lastname: Amuta
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Taraba State University, Jalingo, P.M.B 1167 Jalingo, Taraba State, Nigeria. Electronic address: houmsou@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Houmsou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012548:Schistosoma haematobium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012553:Schistosomiasis haematobia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*
keywords: Hyperendemic; Intensity; Prevalence; Risk factor; Schistosomiasis; Urine