title: High prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni in six health areas of - Kasansa health zone, Democratic Republic of the Congo: short report.
abstract: School-aged children suffer the most from schistosomiasis infection in sub Saharan Africa due to poverty and limited sanitary conditions. Mapping of disease burden is recommended and there is a need of updating prevalence data which is as old as 20 years in the Democratic Republic of Congo. An epidemiological and parasitological study was carried out in 2011 in the health zone of Kasansa. Six health areas (HA) were included in the study. In each health area, one primary school was selected. School-aged children were screened for S. mansoni infection using parallel Kato-Katz and direct microscopy techniques. A total of 335 school-aged children were screened. The average prevalence was 82.7% and ranged between 59.5-94.9%. Four of the six HAs had a prevalence level over 91%. Of all infected children, about half 112 (43.2%) had light parasite density. These results demonstrate that Schistosoma mansoni infection is a bigger problem than anticipated and there is an urgent need to implement effective control measures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tropical Medicine, Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Department of Epidemiology, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Linsuke
authors.affiliation: Department of Tropical Medicine, Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Department of Epidemiology, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
authors.forename: Sabin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nundu
authors.affiliation: Department of Tropical Medicine, Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Programme National de Lutte contre la Bilharziose et Parasitoses Intestinales, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mupoyi
authors.affiliation: Department of Tropical Medicine, Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
authors.forename: Rodin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mukele
authors.affiliation: Programme National de Lutte contre la Bilharziose et Parasitoses Intestinales, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
authors.forename: Faustin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mukunda
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Georgia, Atlanta, United States of America.
authors.forename: Madeleine Mbuyi
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Kabongo
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Scocial Medicine - International Health Unit, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Inocêncio da Luz
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Scocial Medicine - International Health Unit, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Van Geertruyden
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Scocial Medicine - International Health Unit, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Sprundel
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Unit of Epidemiology and Control of Tropical Diseases, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Marleen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boelaert
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Medical Helminthology, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Polman
authors.affiliation: Department of Tropical Medicine, Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Department of Epidemiology, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lutumba
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control