Epidemiology of urinary schistosomiasis among primary school children in selected Local Government Areas of Katsina State

This cross-sectional study investigated the epidemiology of urinary schistosomiasis among schoolchildren in four Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Katsina State, Nigeria. The overall prevalence was 12.85% (221/1720 pupils examined), revealing significant geographic heterogeneity: Batsari recorded the highest burden (14.77%), followed by Daura (13.04%), Dandume (12.50%) and Danja (10.95%). Age was a critical determinant, with peak infection in children aged 6-9 years (14.24%), declining in older age groups. Contrary to typical patterns, females exhibited significantly higher prevalence (16.15%) than males (11.42%). High-risk activities strongly associated with infection included irrigation (42.86% infected), fishing (40.00%) and swimming (33.33%). Snail vector distribution showed geographic clustering: Bulinus truncatus (23.85% of identified snails), B. sengalensis (22.31%) and B. globosus (21.54%) were dominant, with B. sengalensis concentrated in Batsari and B. truncatus prevalent in Daura and Dandume. A significant surveillance gap was noted, with 32.31% of collected snails unidentified. The lack of safe water sources in communities and schools was identified as a major underlying risk factor, facilitating exposure. These findings highlight the complex interplay of geographic, demographic, behavioral and environmental drivers. Effective control necessitates an integrated, targeted approach: prioritizing interventions for young children (4-9 years) and females; implementing community-led behavior change programs to reduce exposure during irrigation, fishing and swimming; deploying precision, eco-friendly snail control in species-specific hotspots (e.g., B. sengalensis in Batsari) and critically, addressing the fundamental lack of safe water infrastructure to achieve sustainable burden reduction.