Prevalence of Schistosomiasis in Inhabitants of Shabu, Lafia North Development Area, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

ALAKU I.A¹., AKOR, J.O². AND ABDULLAHI A.G¹.

¹College of Agriculture Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria.

²College of Health Sciences, Benue State University, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria.

 E-mail: alaku_ibrahim@hayoo.com

ABSTRACT

Schistosomiasis are diseases of liver, gastro-intestinal tract and bladder caused by schistosomes, trematode worms that parasitize people. Schistosomiasis was surveyed in Shabu, Lafia North Development Area of Nasarawa State. This was to evaluate the prevalence of the infection in the study area and to establish a relationship between the prevalence of the infection and the different socio-economic variable such as age, sex, occupation and source of water. The work was conducted between the months of March to June, 2013. A total of 402 samples were collected (202 urine sample and 200 stool samples). The stool sample were processed using the formol-ether technique while the urine sample were processed using the ordinary centrifugal techniques. The overall prevalence of schistosomiasis in the study area was 11.5%. The infections were found among both males and females between the ages of 1 – 20 years. No intestinal schistosome was seen. The prevalence of other intestinal parasites in the area were as follows: Trichomonas hominis, (11.5%), Entamoeba histolytica (9.0) Entamoeba Coli (5.0%), Hookworm (1.5%) and Strongyloides stercoralis (1.0%).