Prevalence of Snail Vectors of Schistosomiasis in the Kpong Head Pond, Ghana

Abstract

Introduction Schistosomes (blood flukes) are digenetic trematodes of the super family Schistosomatoidea. They cause the disease schistosomiasis, which is commonly called bilharziasis. The parasites undergo part of their developmental phase into infective forms in water borne planorbid snails. Hence, schistosomiasis is a helminthic water-borne disease. Five species of Schistosoma have been found to be pathogenic parasites of man (Ross et al., 2007; Gryseels et al., 2006). These are; Schistosoma haemato-bium, causing urinary schistosomiasis, S. mansoni, S. japonicum, S. mekongi and S. intercalatum, all causing intestinal schistosomiasis. Human schistosomiasis remains one of the most important parasitic diseases in the tropics for which there are yet to be vaccines. About 200 million people are estimated to be infected and 500-600 million more exposed to infection (Webbe, 1981) and about 131 million infected in Sub-Saharan Africa alone. The disease is endemic in Ghana and its public health importance was reported by McCullough (1954), who noted then that approximately 20% of the total population of

Transmission Dynamics of Urogenital Schistosomiasis in the Rural Community of Ebonyi State, South Eastern Nigeria

“…However, since seasonal fluctuations exist in snail population densities, infection rates, and cercarial output, information on both snail infection and presence and distribution of cercariae is required for evaluating the risk of infection. Information on presence of cercariae in water is particularly important when only one of many snails is infected yet capable of shedding enough cercariae to maintain high endemicity [18].…”

Effects of land use on intermediate snail host fauna, abundance, distribution and cercariae infection rate in Omo-Gibe river basin, Ethiopia

“…This study showed significant association between land-use types and NO 3 concentration. Yirenya-Tawiah et al [37] reported the nitrate concentration level of the Kpong head pond in Ghana was varied between 0.9 mg/L and 1.4 mg/L. Settlement followed by Farmland (20.4 %), land-use type.…”

Schistosomiasis in Ghana: A Mini-review

“…Among riparian communities from Kpong to Ada in the Volta estuary, prevalence rates of 7-52 % for intestinal schistosomiasis and 88 % for urogenital schistosomiasis were recorded in the early 1990s (WHO, 1993). Also, additional creation of the Vea and Tono dams (Northern Ghana), Nwabi and Barekese dams (Ashanti Region), Okyereko and Mankessim dams (Central region) as well as the Weija dam (Greater Accra region) for irrigational and domestic purposes also marked the extensive distribution of schistosomiasis throughout Ghana, a situation that affirmed the importance of a control programme (Yirenya-Tawiah et al, 2011;Zakhary, 2018).…”

“…Schistosomiasis turned out to be a critical public health crisis after the Volta River was dammed in Akosombo in 1964(Danso-Appiah, 2009Grosse, 1993;Yirenya-Tawiah et al, 2011;Zakhary, 1997). The creation of the Volta Lake resulted in a sudden occurrence and infestation of B. truncatus (an intermediate host of S. haematobium), consequently leading to occurrences of urogenital schistosomiasis in several communities along the lake (Zakhary, 1997).…”

“…The creation of the Volta Lake resulted in a sudden occurrence and infestation of B. truncatus (an intermediate host of S. haematobium), consequently leading to occurrences of urogenital schistosomiasis in several communities along the lake (Zakhary, 1997). Subsequently, the creation of the Kpong head pond, about 25 km below the Akosombo dam, also became another active transmission site of both urogenital and intestinal schistosomiasis (Yirenya-Tawiah et al, 2011). The construction of these two dams (Akosombo dam and Kpong dam) resulted in the upsurge of the prevalence of schistosomiasis in riparian communities.…”