An Update on Schistosomiasis: Prevalence, Intensity of Infection and Risk Factors among School-Aged Children in Njombe, Littoral Region, Cameroon

Aims: The study aimed to assess an update of the burden of schistosomiasis among primary school children.

Study Design: The study was a school-based cross-sectional study carried out among children aged between 4 to 15 years old.

Place and Duration of Study: The study took place in Njombé, Littoral Region, Cameroon from March to April 2017.

Methodology: Urine and stool samples were collected were collected from 412 school-aged children and examined using the urine filtration method and the Kato-Katz technique respectively. A questionnaire was administered to assess their water related activities. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 2.0. Logistic regression and odds ratio was used to measure association and strength between variables respectively. P-value < .05 at 95% CI was considered as statistically significant.

Results: The overall prevalence of schistosomiasis was 9.7%, with 7,8% and 1,9% of school children infected with S. mansoni and S. haematobium, respectively and 0.7% co-infection with both species. The intensities of S. haematobium and S. mansoni infection were 2.1 eggs per 10 mL of urine, 94 eggs per gram of stool respectively. The multiple regression analysis revealed that itching after bathing in backwater (Odds ratio (OR)= 2.427, confidence interval (CI): 1.080 - 5454, P=.03). And school children attending EPB Alpha (OR= 2.024), CI: 1.203 – 4.804, P=.011). were predictors of schistosomiasis infection. However, significant association was found between schistosomiasis and playing in the stream and the presence of the river and back water in the vicinity of schools.

Conclusion: There was a drastic decline in the prevalence of schistosomiasis infection in school children in Njombé compared to previous reports. The decrease is attributed to the bi-annual deworming campaign by the Public Health Authorities.