Abstract:
Examination of 1134 school children of age ranging from 3 to 21 years in Sango strip, Kenya for Schistosoma revealed an overall prevalence of 1.9%. The age-specific prevalence showed a rise from zero in the 0-4 year age group, peaking at the 10-14 (2.6%) before declining thereafter.
Differences in prevalence among male and female were nonsignificant for data pooled over age 3 to 21 years. There was no significant differences among the six schools studied. Excretion of <10 eggs/10 ml was recorded in 90.5% of the infected children.
Of the children examined 6.4% were haematuric although there was no correlation between haematuria and prevalence.
Large numbers Biomphalaria sudanica were sampled. Some Biomphalaria pfeifferi ere also found. The snail vectors for S. haematobium (9 B. globosus and 3 B. africanus) were very rare. One Bulinus truncatus was found shedding bifercate mammalian cercaria. A sanitation survey conducted in the area revealed that 35.5% of the homesteads had no latrines. These investigations have shown that there is a likelihood of S. haematobium infection in Sango strip leading to a severe disease condition. There is need however to carry out an epidemiological survey to find out the disease status of Schistosoma mansoni in the human population with a view to instituting control measures.
