Prevalence and Risk Factors for Schistosomiasis Among Schoolchildren in Two Settings of Côte D'Ivoire

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease affecting more than 250 million people, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. In Côte d'Ivoire both (causing urogenital schistosomiasis) and (causing intestinal schistosomiasis) co-exist. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of and and to identify risk factors among schoolchildren in the western and southern parts of Côte d'Ivoire. From January to April 2018, a cross-sectional study was carried out including 1187 schoolchildren aged 5-14 years. Urine samples were examined by a filtration method to identify and count eggs, while stool samples were subjected to duplicate Kato-Katz thick smears to quantify eggs of and soil-transmitted helminths. Data on sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and environmental factors were obtained using a pretested questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to test for associations between variables. We found a prevalence of of 14.0% (166 of 1187 schoolchildren infected) and a prevalence of of 6.1% (66 of 1089 schoolchildren infected). In the southern part of Côte d'Ivoire, the prevalence of was 16.1% with a particularly high prevalence observed in Sikensi (35.6%), while was most prevalent in Agboville (11.2%). Swimming in open freshwater bodies was the main risk factor for infection (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 127.0, 95% confidence interval (CI): 25.0-634.0, < 0.001). Fishing and washing clothes in open freshwater bodies were positively associated with and infection, respectively. Preventive chemotherapy using praziquantel should be combined with setting-specific information, education, and communication strategies in order to change children's behavior, thus avoiding contact with unprotected open freshwater.