Saudi Journal of Kidney Diseases and Transplantation (Jan 2018)

Urinary schistosomiasis in Boko Haram-related internally displaced Nigerian children

  • Saad Mohammed Yauba,
  • Adamu Ibrahim Rabasa,
  • Abubakar Garba Farouk,
  • Hassan Abdullahi Elechi,
  • Ibrahim Ummate,
  • Bello Abdullahi Ibrahim,
  • Halima Abubakar Ibrahim,
  • Abubakar Sadiq Baba,
  • Talatu Abubakar Boda,
  • Wasiu Adekunle Olowu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/1319-2442.248286
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 29, no. 6
pp. 1395 – 1402

Abstract

Read online

We aimed to determine the prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis among internally displaced children in Maiduguri, Nigeria. Data on the children’s sociodemographic characteristics and risk factors for schistosomiasis were collected, over a period of six months, using an interview-based questionnaire. Ten milliliter of urine sample was collected from each child and investigated for hematuria and ova of Schistosoma haematobium. Two hundred and thirty-eight of 385 children had urinary schistosomiasis (62.0%); of this, 125 (53.0%) were males, with a male:female ratio of 1.1:1. Urinary schistosomiasis was the most common among 5–9 years’ age group, low social class children, and children of farmers, P <0.05. Stunting was significantly associated with urinary schistosomiasis, P <0.05. It is concluded that urinary schistosomiasis in children was more frequently associated with stunting and low social class. It was a very common disease among internally displaced children in Nigeria.