Abstract

In Ghana and many other sub-Sahara African countries, schistosomiasis is usually endemic in rural poor communities and whenever it is detected among urban settlers, it is usually attributed to prior visits by such patients to endemic rural areas. In this study, the prevalence of Schistosoma haematobium infection among basic school children in two African urban settings along River Wiwi in Kumasi, Ghana and the potential of this river as a source of the infection were verified. A total of 200 school children selected from two schools located on river Wiwi (Weweso Metropolitan Assembly and Ayigya Zongo Basic schools) were examined for urinary schistosomiasis after they were interviewed to determine the level of their knowledge of the disease. A 9% prevalent rate of urinary schistosomiasis was recorded among the school children with those of 13 to 15 years-age groups recording the highest prevalence (61.1%) of the infection. About 44% of the school children considered dysuria and haematuria to be normal and did not attribute it to entering infected water. Snails sampled from River Wiwi included Bulinus species of which 81.8% were found shedding Schistosome cercariae. The river was also observed to provide suitable conditions for the growth and proliferation of these fresh water snail intermediate hosts of Schistosomes. This study has therefore established River Wiwi as a potential source of S. haematobium infection in Kumasi, an urban African setting.

Key words: Urban African setting, River Wiwi, Kumasi, schistosomiasis