<b>Efficacy of Parazoquantel against <i>Schistosoma Heamatobium</i> Enfection among Residents of Wasai Dam in Minjibir Local Government, Kano State, Nigeria</b>

Abstract

Schistosomiasis is a chronic debilitating infection due to Schistosoma species belonging to parasitic trematode worms. It continues to threaten millions of people, particularly the rural poor in the developing countries. A study was carried out to determine the prevalence of urinary Schistosomiasis among dwellers of Wasai dam in Minjibir, Kano State and to evaluate efficacy of single dose of Parazoquantel. A total of 402 people in four selected villages residing around the study area were screened for the present or absence of Shistosoma haematobium ova and efficacy of single dose Parazoquantel was evaluated. Eggs of S. haematobium were examined using urine concentration sedimentation technique. The overall prevalence of the infection was 61.9% and Mean Eggs Per cubic Centilitre (EPC) of 31.8% were recorded. Males were more infected (67.9%) than females (54.8%). Cure rate in the present study was 97.9%. There was significant difference between mean EPC and cure rate (p<0.05). This study concludes that Parazoquantel is still highly efficacious at a single dose for the treatment of S. haematobium infection.

Human Contamination and Schistosome Infection Intensity in Bulinid and Planorbid Snail Vectors in Kadawa Irrigation Area, Kano State, Nigeria

“…They further observed that faecal contamination of surface water with schistosome eggs occurs in rural endemic regions with low sanitation infrastructure. In a cross-sectional study conducted by Abubakar et al [28], similar observation was reported in which the high prevalence of S. haematobium infection (61.9%) was attributed to human contact with contaminated water. These findings were in agreement with [7] who reported that geographic distribution of schistosomes along waterways might be related to human behavior and the geographic extent of human travel than environmental factors alone.…”

“…This promiscuous contamination is the sole source of human-to-snail transmission which has an attendant effect of maintaining schistosome infection in humans in the study area as a result of water contact with cercariae-infested water. This is contributory to the endemicity of schistosomiasis in the study area, as reported by several researchers [9,13,14,20,28]. Moreover, Akullian [7] further observed that in many endemic areas humans contribute heavily to both the parasite's survival and the resulting burden of disease within the human population through continued faecal and urinary contamination of heavily used waterways.…”