Prevalence and Impact of Urinary Schistosomiasis amongst Fadama Farmers in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, Central Nigeria

Abstract

The status of urinary schistosomiasis infections, with the aim of developing schistosomiasis health education programmes through primary health care water contact activities amongst irrigation (Fadama) farmers in Bassa Local Government Area of PLateau State. Nigeria, was assessed. Out of 234 urine samples collected. 68.80% were positive for urinary schistosomiasis while, 23.25% tested positive for haematuria. There were significantly more infected males than the female counterparts (p<0.05). The highest prevalence of infections was recorded in the age group of 21 - 30 (84.50%), which incidentally was also the most active group of farmers. This was followed by the 1 - 10 year-old age group (89.00%) in which 67.97% of females were infected and this compared favorably with the 70.40% male infections typical of an agrarian socio-cultural life style. Mean intensity of Schistosoma haematobium in the total population was 20 eggs per 10 ml of urine. However, there was no significant difference in the rate of infection in the both males and females in the three study areas (X² = 0.70; Tab 5.991 at 5% level of probability) (p>0.05). However, there was a statistically significant difference in the rate of infection with visible haematuria amongst the sexes (p<0.05). The study indicated that urinary schistosomiasis (bilharziasis) infections constitute a potential public health problem to Fadama farmers.