Pattern and psycho-social, behavioral environmental risk factors for schistosomiasis infection among Egyptian school children

This article presented schistosomiasis infection pattern and described different infection/reinfection risk factors among a cohort of school children over a period of one year. Baseline data revealed a prevalence of 43.9% and a geometric mean egg count [GMEC] per gram stool among infected children of 319. Two months and one year later, the prevalence was 8.1% with GMEC of 54.5 and 15.9% with GMEC of 60.2, respectively, with 63.7% relative reduction in prevalence. Incidence rate was 12.9%, reinfection rate was 17.2% with GMEC of 74.2. Both infected boys and infected girls were more significantly involved with farming and irrigation with canal water during the growth of certain crops than were their uninfected counter-parts. Washing animals was also found to increase one's risk for schistosomiasis. Although most houses had access to tap water, the inconsistency of adequate water supply appears to be a common problem. Dirty floors that would become muddy with a good deal of washing was also a factor. The lack of alternative, affordable, competitive sports were identified as a reason why some boys choose to swim in the canals