The epidemiology of schistosomiasis in Egypt: summary findings in nine governorates.

Abstract

Abstract. Health questionnaires and parasitologic examinations of urine and stool were evaluated from a stratified random sample of 89,180 individuals from 17,172 households in 251 rural communities in 9 governorates of Egypt to investigate the prevalence of, risk factors for, and changing pattern of infection with Schistosoma sp. in Egypt. A subset, every fifth household, or 18,600 subjects, had physical and ultrasound examinations to investigate the prevalence of and risk factors for morbidity. Prevalence of S. haematobium in 4 governorates in Upper Egypt in which it is endemic ranged from 4.8% to 13.7% and averaged 7.8%. The geometric mean egg count (GMEC) ranged from 7.0 to 10.0 ova/ 10 ml of urine and averaged 8.1. Age stratified prevalence of infection peaked at 15.7% in the 10-14-year-old age group and decreased to 3.5-5.5% in all groups more than 25 years of age. Age-stratified intensity of infection peaked at approximately 10.0 ova/10 ml of urine in the 5-14-year-old age groups and was about half that in all groups more than 25 years of age. Males had higher infection rates and ova counts than females in all age groups. Schistosoma mansoni was rare in Upper Egypt, being consequential in only Fayoum, which had a prevalence of 4.3% and an average intensity of infection of 44.0 ova/g of stool. Risk factors for S. haematobium infection were male gender, an age Ͻ21 years old, living in smaller communities, exposures to canal water; a history of, or treatment for, schistosomiasis, a history of burning micturition or blood in the urine, and reagent strip-detected hematuria or proteinuria. The more severe grades (II and III) of ultrasonography-detected periportal fibrosis (PPF) were rare (15 of 906) in these schistosomiasis haematobia-endemic governorates. Risk factors for morbidity (ultrasonography-detected urinary bladder wall lesions and/or obstructive uropathy) were similar to those for infection, with the exception that risk progressively increased with age. Subjects with active S. haematobium infections were 3 times as likely as those without active S. haematobium infections to have urinary tract morbidity. The prevalence of S. mansoni in 5 governorates in Lower Egypt, where it is endemic, ranged from 17.5% to 42.9% and averaged 36.4%. The GMEC ranged from 62.6 to 93.3 eggs/g of stool and averaged 81.3. Age-stratified prevalence of infection peaked at 48.3% in the 15-19-year-old age group, but averaged 35-45% in all groups more than 10 years of age. The intensity of infection was highest in the 10-14-year-old age group, and showed a range of 70-85 eggs/g of stool in those Ն5 years of age. Males had higher infection rates and ova counts than females in all age groups. Schistosoma haematobium was rare in these governorates; Ismailia (1.8%) had the highest infection rate. Risk factors for S. mansoni were male gender, an age Ͼ10 years old, living in smaller communities, exposures to canal water, a history of, or treatment for, schistosomiasis or blood in the stool, detection of splenomegaly by either physical...

Some epidemiological and serological studies on schistosomiasis in Najran area, Saudi Arabia

“…These are consistent with many other reports worldwide (Garba et al, 2010;Ahmed et al, 2012). Males usually have higher prevalence rates of schistosomiasis than females and this was attributed to religious and cultural reasons or to water contact behavior (El-Khoby et al, 2000;Haidar, 2001;Matthys et al, 2007;Deribe et al, 2011). However, signifi cantly higher infection rates among females compared to their male counterparts have been also reported elsewhere (Satayathum et al, 2006;Rudge et al, 2008).…”

Liver disease in Egypt: Hepatitis C superseded schistosomiasis as a result of iatrogenic and biological factors

“…7 The SRP included basic research on snails; immune responses and vaccine development; health education, sociological and ecological factors associated with transmission; diagnosis and clinical management of complications; and epidemiology. American "schistosomologists" worked alongside Egyptian scientists to better understand and develop mechanisms to control schistosomiasis in the country.…”

“…The Egyptian Ministry of Health (MOH) during an assessment of the country's health problems in the mid-20th century decided they had the resources to undertake large mass treatment campaigns in rural communities in which a large 4 and during the SRP nation-wide survey during 1991-1992. 7 The prevalence of anti-HCV during 1991/2 in these same areas is also shown as adapted from Frank et al 6 and other sources.…”

Inheritance of Schistosoma mansoni infection incompatibility in Biomphalaria alexandrina snails

“…In Egypt, it is the most important endemic parasitic disease (Nunn & Tapp 2000). Approximately 70% of the adult chronic liver diseases and 35% of child liver diseases are due to schistosomiasis (El-Khoby et al 2000). In 2007, about 3% of rural populations showed Schistosoma mansoni eggs in their stools (Bakr et al 2007).…”