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This is a Cross-Sectional Study study.

October 12, 2025Open Access

Prevalence and epidemiological factors associated with urogenital schistosomiasis amongst school children in three health districts of Cameroon; Lagdo (North), Loum and Njombe-Penja (Littoral): a cross-sectional study

NTNjegwe Nehemiah TanguUniversity of Bamenda EAEdouard Nantia AkonoUniversity of Bamenda FNFlore Nguemaïm NgoufoUniversity of Bamenda

Key Points

Urogenital schistosomiasis prevalence was found at 16.2%, with varying rates across health districts.
Infectivity was highest in Lagdo district at 28.3%, with notable higher rates in boys compared to girls.
Binary logistic regression revealed boys and specific health districts as significant risk factors for infection.
Increased awareness and improvements in water sanitation are crucial for controlling schistosomiasis in affected regions.

Abstract

Schistosoma haematobium causes urogenital schistosomiasis (UgS), responsible for the largest number of schistosomiasis infections in sub-Saharan Africa, including Cameroon. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and epidemiological factors associated with UgS among school children in three Health Districts (HDs) of Cameroon. This was a school-based cross-sectional study that took place in Lagdo (North region), Loum and Njombe-Penja (Littoral region) HDs of Cameroon, from April 2022 to June 2023. A total of 600 pupils were enrolled in this study, consisting of 100, 200, and 300 pupils from Loum, Njombe-Penja, and Lagdo HDs, respectively. Of these, 308 boys and 292 girls aged 8–14 years old were included. Urine samples were collected from the pupils and examined microscopically for Schistosoma haematobium eggs. The prevalence of UgS was compared across various groups (e.g., HDs, sex, and age) using the Chi-square test. Epidemiological factors associated with UgS were identified using binary logistic regression and odds ratio (OR). A p < 0.05 at a 95% confidence interval (CI) was considered statistically significant. The overall prevalence of UgS was 16.2% (97/600). UgS infections were found in 28.3% (n = 85), 12.0% (n = 12), and nil (n = 0) of pupils in Lagdo, Loum, and Njombe-Penja HDs, respectively. In the Lagdo HD, 1.0% (3/300) urine-derived co-infection of Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma mansoni was found. UgS infection was significantly higher in males (19.2%; 59/308) than in females (13.0%; 38/292) (p = 0.041) but not with age groups (in years: ≤ 10, 11–12, and 13–14) (p = 0.073). Moreover, higher risk of UgS infection were observed in pupils from Lagdo HD (OR: 2.899; CI: 1.509–5.572) and boys (OR: 1.584; CI: 1.016–2.468), when compared to others in their respective categories. Urinary eggs of Schistosoma haematobium were present in 28.3% of samples at Lagdo HD, 12.0% at Loum HD, and nil at Njombe-Penja HD. HDs and sex were epidemiological factors associated with UgS infection. This necessitates disease education, improvement of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) infrastructures, and snail vector control in at-risk localities, to improve schistosomiasis control/elimination efforts.

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