Water contact behavior and schistosomiasis in an upper Egyptian village

Microgeographical patterns of schistosomiasis and water contact behavior; examples from Africa and Brazil

“…Similar patterns were noted again seven months post-chemotherapy of all school children (Kloos et al 1983) reflecting differences in transmission levels as established by the biological and cercariometric surveys ( Fig. 1) and water contact patterns.…”

“…The fact that the Nile is a major source of schistosomiasis haematobium and increasingly also schistosomiasis mansoni points out the need for health education. The highest risk group were 12-13 year old boys, who had both the highest geometric mean egg counts (14.8) and the highest TBM values (Kloos et al 1983).…”

“…Body exposure was calculated from clinical burn charts. Malacological surveys and sentinel snail and hamster exposure studies were carried out at most contact sites during each July and October, when transmission occurred, and cercariometric filtration was performed in June 1980 (Kloos et al 1982a(Kloos et al , 1983.…”

“…Thus, intensity of infection is influenced considerably by the frequency, duration and intensity of human contact with infective water. Spatial studies of schistosomiasis, snail intermediate hosts and water resources have been carried out at both the macrogeographical (world-wide, regional, national and district) (Hunter 1981, Doumenge 1987, Kloos et al 1988, Bavia et al 1994) and microgeographical (community) levels (Kloos et al 1983, Lima e Costa et al 1985, Kloetzel 1989, Barreto 1991. Although they use data of different levels of aggregation and specificity, these two types of study can complement each other.…”

“…Although they use data of different levels of aggregation and specificity, these two types of study can complement each other. The objective of the majority of water contact studies has been to evaluate exposure risk levels in populations as part of epidemiological and immunological studies but they may also be used to identify transmission sites, to assess the need for an optimal location of improved water supplies and sanitary facilities, for the development of health education programs and to monitor and evaluate control programs (WHO 1979, Kloos et al 1983). The new GIS (geographic information systems) tools allow analyses at different scales and they are vastly more versatile than traditional cartographic techniques but have so far been limited to macro-geographical analyses with the exception of the study by Van Zuyle (1995).…”