The relationship between urinary schistosomiasis and the prevailing socio-economic factors of a rural community in Cameroon

The relationship between the transmission of urinary schistosomiasis and the prevailing socio-economic factors was investigated in some villages in Lagdo District of the Republic of Cameroon in 2005. Urine samples obtained from participants in the study were examined microscopically for the presence of eggs of Schistosoma haematobium . Questionnaires were administered to school children to study their perception of the disease, and local socio-economic factors that may stabilize the infection in the community. Schistosoma haematobium was confirmed amongst 39.2% of the study-population. Mixed infecfions of S. mansoni and S. haematobium occurred in only 4.5% of the pupils. Subjects aged 5-9 years were most infected (45.7%). Male subjects (23.5%) were significantly (p Keywords : urinary schistosomiasis, socio-economic factors, rural community, Cameroon. Nigerian Journal of Parasitology Vol. 29 (1) 2008 pp. 5-10