Asian Journal of Advances in Medical Science

Despite the interventions, public awareness and technological advances, schistosomiasis still remains a burden to tropical and subtropical regions, the disease is caused by the blood fluke of the genus Schistosoma and transmitted during contact with infected water bodies. This study was carried out to determine the status and prevalence of schistosomiasis among school aged children within some communities in Burutu Local Government Areas of Delta State, Nigeria. The study population was three hundred and eighty (380) school-aged children from six community primary and secondary schools. Parasitological examination for stool samples was carried out using direct smear, Kato-Katz technique and formo-ether sedimentation while urine samples were examined using sedimentation method. The results showed that from the examination of 206 urine samples, 22(10.68%) children were infected with Schistosoma haematobium, Generally, males were same infected as the female, but with different distribution among the communities study and this was statistically significant when compared the number infected (p<0.0082). Also, examination of 164 stool samples from the study population showed that 10(25%) children were infected with Schistosoma mansoni. The study indicates that 80% of the children tested positive are males were more infected than the female and this was statistically significant when compared the number infected (p<0.0082). Based on communities, Ogbogbagbene community had the highest overall infection rate of 7(17.5%) of all communities samples followed by Turugbene community with a prevalence of 3(7.5%) infected among the burutu communities investigated in the study. Risk factor analysis showed that there was inverse relationship between prevalence of infection and distance from the river. Also reduce knowledge of duration of last deworming was observe with 87.60% are yet to be deworming for the last five (5) months and 94.36% of the pupils have not be immunized in the last one year. 46.24% of the pupils were observed to use more of pit toilet as the choice of toilet, while 24.06% uses the river as the choice of toilet and 19.55% use bush as the choice of toilet. Though, the prevalence of the infection was relatively low, there is still need for coordinated public enlightenment on schistosomiasis in the areas. Government also needs to provide more social amenities to reduce the infection in the study area.