title: The Menace of Schistosomiasis in Nigeria: Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Regarding Schistosomiasis among Rural Communities in Kano State.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Schistosomiasis is one of the most common neglected tropical diseases, especially in the developing countries in Africa, Asia and South America, with Nigeria having the greatest number of cases of schistosomiasis worldwide. This community-based study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) regarding schistosomiasis among rural Hausa communities in Kano State, Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was carried out among 551 participants from Hausa communities in five local government areas in Kano State, North Central Nigeria. Demographic, socioeconomic and environmental information as well as KAP data were collected using a pre-tested questionnaire. Moreover, faecal and urine samples were collected and examined for the presence of Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium eggs respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence of schistosomiasis was 17.8%, with 8.9% and 8.3% infected with S. mansoni and S. haematobium respectively, and 0.5% had co-infection of both species. Moreover, 74.5% of the participants had prior knowledge about schistosomiasis with 67.0% of them how it is transmitted and 63.8% having no idea about the preventive measures. Three-quarters of the respondents considered schistosomiasis a serious disease while their practices to prevent infections were still inadequate, with only 34.7% of them seeking treatment from clinics/hospitals. Significant associations between the KAP and age, gender, education and employment status were reported. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that age, gender, history of infection and educational level of the respondents were the most important factors significantly associated with the KAP on schistosomiasis among this population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Schistosomiasis is still prevalent among Hausa communities in Nigeria and participants' knowledge about the disease was poor. Mass drug administration, community mobilization and health education regarding the cause, transmission and prevention of schistosomiasis and education about good personal and sanitary hygiene practices should be considered in order to significantly reduce the prevalence and morbidity of infection within these communities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Salwa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dawaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.|Azal National Research Center, Azal University for Human Development, Sana'a, Yemen.|Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana'a University, Sana'a, Yemen.
authors.forename: Hesham M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Al-Mekhlafi
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Init
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ithoi
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Jamaiah
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Awatif M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Abdulsalam
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Umaru Musa Yar'adua University, Katsina, Katsina State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Abdulhamid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Hany
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sady
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Nabil A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Nasr
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Wahib M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Atroosh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult