03489nas a2200289   4500000000100000008004100001260004400042653002000086653003700106653001500143653002800158653001300186100001300199700001900212700001400231700001900245700001300264700001400277700002300291700001100314245022200325856008600547300000900633490000700642520253600649022001403185       2025                            d  bSpringer Science and Business Media LLC10aSchool children10aurogenital schistosomiasis (UGS)10aPrevalence10aepidemiological factors10aCameroon1 aTangu NN1 aNantia Akono E1 aNgoufo FN1 aTuekam Kayo RP1 aPaguem A1 aKamtsap P1 aTchuem Tchuenté L1 aRenz A00aPrevalence 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  uhttps://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s12879-025-11685-w.pdf  a1-130 v253 a<p><strong>Background</strong></p>

<p>Schistosoma haematobium causes urogenital schistosomiasis (UgS), responsible for the largest number of schistosomiasis infections in sub-Saharan Africa, including Cameroon.</p>

<p><strong>Objective</strong></p>

<p>This study aimed to determine the prevalence and epidemiological factors associated with UgS among school children in three Health Districts (HDs) of Cameroon.</p>

<p><strong>Study design</strong></p>

<p>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.</p>

<p><strong>Methods</strong></p>

<p>A total of 600 pupils were enrolled in this study, consisting of 100, 200, and 300 pupils from Loum, NjombePenja, 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&lt;0.05 at a 95% confidence interval (CI) was considered statistically significant.</p>

<p><strong>Results</strong></p>

<p>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&nbsp;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.</p>

<p><strong>Conclusions</strong></p>

<p>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.</p>
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