Epidemiology of schistosomiasis in Ahoué, southern Côte d’Ivoire

Schistosomiasis is a considerable public health problem in Cote d’Ivoire, particularly in rural area. This study was carried out in location of Ahoue southern Cote d’Ivoire, sub-prefecture of Brofodoume. The objective was to assess the epidemiology of schistosomiasis among school children in Ahoue located near a dam. Overall, 122 school children provided urine and stool sample. Stool samples were subjected to the method of Kato-katz, while urines samples analysed using urine filtration method. The results of the analyses of the urine and the stool revealed that the prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis and intestinal schistosomiasis was 24, 59% and 6, 56% respectively. The differences between the prevalence of schistosomiases, the sex and the age brackets are not significant (P> 0,05). Of all infected children, more half (73, 33%) had light parasite density for urinary schistosomiasis and high parasite density (50%) for intestinal schistosomiasis. A questionnaire was administered to collect relevant information for schistosomiasis transmission. Principal factors of transmission whose frequentation of the dam, age bracket and fact of urinating in the dam were accused. This study was used to assess the level of endemicity of schistosomiasis and will allow considering the appropriate means of checking this disease.