Prevalence of schistosomiasis among primary school pupils in local government education authority nursery and primary school, Gangare, Jos North Local Government Area, Jos, Plateau State

Abstract

Schistosomiasis is a waterborne snail-transmitted parasitic disease and a major public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, mostly affecting populations living in low-resource countries where water supply and sanitation are poor and inadequate. It is the most predominant neglected tropical disease (NTD) after malaria and intestinal helminthiases in global parasitism. The study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Schistosoma haematobium among primary school pupils in Gangare and to relate the prevalence to age groups, gender, and the water sources used by the pupils. Methodology: Thirty (30) millilitres of urine were collected into universal containers, including the last portion of the urine specimen. Ten millilitres of the specimen were transferred into a centrifuge tube and centrifuged at 2,000 rpm for five minutes. A drop of the sediment was placed at the centre of a clean, grease-free slide and examined under ×10 and ×40 objectives. Results: Of the 200 urine samples examined, 14 were positive for S. haematobium, giving a prevalence of 7.0%. The 11–13 years age group had the highest prevalence at 9.2%, while the lowest, 5.3%, was in the 8–10 years age group. Males had the highest prevalence, 8.7%, while females had the lowest, 4.1%. Subjects who bathe and wash in stream or river water recorded the highest prevalence of 26.4%, while subjects drinking tap water recorded the lowest prevalence of 6.7%. Conclusion: This study showed that there was a low prevalence of Schistosoma haematobium among primary school pupils in Gangare Jos North Local Government, which may be attributed to increased awareness and government intervention.