Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding urinary schistosomiasis among adults in the Ekombe Bonji Health Area, Cameroon

Pediatric urogenital schistosomiasis diagnosed in France

BACKGROUND

Schistosomiasis affects approximately 230 million people worldwide. There is an increased incidence of schistosomiasis cases in France acquired from outside the country. This increases the risk of schistosomiasis outbreaks as observed in Corsica. Clinicians from non-endemic regions are not accustomed to diagnosing and managing this pathology. The objective of this study is to provide a better description of the clinical and paraclinical characteristics and disease evolution of affected children.

METHODS

Through the French Pediatric Nephrology Society and the Pediatric Infectious Pathology Group, we contacted all French pediatric centers that may have treated children with urinary schistosomiasis between 2013 and 2019. Age, sex, comorbidities, and clinical, biological, and radiological data (at discovery and follow-up) were collected retrospectively.

RESULTS

A total of 122 patients from 10 different centers were included. The median age was 14 years and the sex ratio M/F was 4:1. Hematuria was present in 82% of the patients while urinary tract abnormality was found in 36% of them. Fourteen patients (11%) displayed complicated forms of urinary schistosomiasis including 10 patients with chronic kidney disease. A total of 110 patients received treatment with praziquantel, which was well-tolerated and led to clinical resolution of symptoms in 98% of cases.

CONCLUSION

Patients with schistosomiasis present frequent kidney, urinary, or genital involvement. Systematic screening of patients returning from endemic areas is therefore recommended, especially since treatment with antiparasitic drugs is effective and well-tolerated. Enhancing medical knowledge of this pathology among all practitioners is essential to improve care and outcomes.

Urogenital schistosomiasis: prevalence, knowledge and practices among women of reproductive age in Northern Tanzania

Objective

To determine the prevalence, knowledge and practices regarding urogenital schistosomiasis among women of reproductive age in Kileo Ward, Mwanga District.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in the dispensary in Kileo Village, Mwanga District. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was administered to participants to collect information on sociodemographic characteristics and schistosomiasis-related knowledge and practices. Urine samples were examined for schistosoma eggs using the urine sedimentation technique. Data collected were cleaned, coded and entered into SPSS Version 20 for analysis. Chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test were used for analysis.

Results

Overall prevalence of urogenital schistosomiasis was 2.3%. The prevalence was higher among participants aged ≥18 years (3.2%), those who did domestic chores in river water (13.3%), and those who swam in river water (7.1%). Only a few participants had a low level of knowledge (4.8%) and poor practices (1.9%) regarding urogenital schistosomiasis.

Conclusion

The transmission of urogenital schistosomiasis was low among women of reproductive age in the study area. Despite a high level of knowledge and good practices for urogenital schistosomiasis, there are knowledge gaps regarding its causes and risk factors.

Assessment of awareness and knowledge of schistosomiasis among school-aged children (6-13 years) in the Okavango Delta, Botswana

BACKGROUND

Schistosomiasis is a global health problem affecting 250 million people, with 90% in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Botswana, the burden is high in the Okavango delta because of the water channels. WHO recommends integrated measures, including access to clean water, sanitation, health education, and drugs to control and eliminate schistosomiasis. Gauging knowledge and awareness of schistosomiasis for School-Aged Children (SAC) is crucial. Our study aimed at assessing knowledge and awareness of schistosomiasis among SAC in the Okavango Delta.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey assessing awareness and knowledge of schistosomiasis in schools was conducted. 480 questionnaires were administered to gather demographic profiles, awareness, and knowledge of risky behaviors. Chi-square and descriptive analysis determined the differences in SAC`s awareness and knowledge levels based on localities, gender, age, and health education.

RESULTS

The results showed a low awareness level, with only (42%) of respondents having heard about the disease and (52%) knowing its local name. Younger children from Sekondomboro (83%) and Samochima lacked awareness, while children from Mohembo (77%) and those who had health education (70%) demonstrated significant awareness levels (P ≤ 0.001). Seventy-two percent (72%) lacked knowledge of the cause and (95%) did not know the disease life-cycle. Children from Xakao (91%), (85%) Sepopa, and (75%) of younger children did not know haematuria is a symptom of the disease. Older and SAC with health education were more likely to know that swimming is a risk factor (P ≤ 0.001) and (P ≤ 0.05) respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Although respondents from four schools demonstrated some level of awareness of the disease, and knowledge of risky behaviors, the study showed a lack of in-depth knowledge on the life-cycle and cause of the diseases. We, therefore, recommend the implementation of an integrated approach to health education and improvement in access to clean water and sanitation in all study areas.

Schistosoma haematobium infection status and its associated risk factors among pregnant women in Munyenge, South West Region, Cameroon following scale-up of communal piped water sources from 2014 to 2017: a cross-sectional study

Background

In 2014, a study in Munyenge revealed a high prevalence of urogenital schistosomiasis (UGS) among pregnant women. This study investigated he prevalence and risk factors of UGS in pregnancy following scale-up of piped water sources from 2014 to 2017. Secondly, we compared stream usage, stream contact behaviour, infection rate and intensity with the findings of 2014.

Methods

Consenting pregnant women reporting for antenatal care (ANC) in the different health facilities were enrolled consecutively between November 2016 and January 2018. Information on age, gravidity status, residence, marital status, educational level, occupation, household water source, frequency of contact with water and stream activities were obtained using a semi-structured questionnaire. Urine samples were examined for the presence of microhaematuria and S. haematobium ova using test strip and filtration/microscopy methods respectively. Data were analysed using univariate and multivariate regression analyses and relative risk reductions calculated.

Results

Of the 368 women enrolled, 22.3% (82) were diagnosed with UGS. Marital status (single) (aOR = 2.24, 95% CI: 1.04–4.79), primary - level of education (aOR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.04–3.85) and domestic activity and bathing in the stream (aOR = 3.3; 95% CI: 1.83–6.01) increased risk of S. haematobium infection. Meanwhile, fewer visits (< 3 visits/week) to stream (aOR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.17–0.74) reduced exposure to infection. Piped water usage was associated with reduced stream usage and eliminated the risk of infection among women who used safe water only. Compared with the findings of 2014, stream usage (RRR = 23 95% CI: 19–28), frequency (≥ 3 visits) (RRR = 69 95% CI: 59–77) and intensity of contact with water (RRR = 37 95% CI = 22–49) has reduced. Similarly, we observed a decrease in infection rate (RRR = 52, 95% CI = 40–62) and prevalence of heavy egg intensity (RRR = 71, 95% CI = 53–81).

Conclusion

Following increased piped water sources in Munyenge, S. haematobium infection has declined due to reduced stream contact. This has important implication in the control of UGS in pregnancy.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-019-6659-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.