SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC RISK FACTORS OF SCHISTOSOMIASIS MANSONI IN PATIENTS WITH GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS: A SEROPREVALANCE STUDY IN EGYPT

AL-ANTABLY, ABEER S.A.; FOUAD, SHAWKY A.; BASYONI, MAHA M.A.; HASSAN, MARWA A.

doi:10.21608/jesp.2016.88699

SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC RISK FACTORS OF SCHISTOSOMIASIS MANSONI IN PATIENTS WITH GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS: A SEROPREVALANCE STUDY IN EGYPT

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza P.O. Box: 11562, Egypt

² Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza P.O. Box: 11562, Egypt.

³ Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza P.O. Box: 11562, Egypt.

10.21608/jesp.2016.88699

Abstract

Limited data is available on the epidemiologic status of schistosomiasis mansoni in Egypt. The present work aimed to explore the seroepidemiological status of Schistosoma mansoni infection in Egypt by screening inhabitants of different Egyptian governorates and its correlation with morbid symptoms and risk factors. Health questionnaires and indirect haemagglutination test (IHAT) were performed upon a cross-sectional study of 1788 individuals from 22 governorates. Socio-demographic variables included sex, age, residence and canal water contact. A multivariate regression model was used to assess associations between S.mansoni infection and socio-demographic variables. S.mansoni significant titre ≥ 1:160 was detected in 43% of samples. S. mansoni showed the highest prevalence in Al-Fayoum (15.2%), Kafr El-Sheikh (11.2%) then Assiut (10.9%) while the least positive results were from Matrouh (0.2%). This may be the first indication to emerging foci in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Suez, Port Said and the Red Sea Governorates. Anti-S.mansoni antibodies were least detected at 11-20ys while they were the highest at 41-50ys, the highest titres (1/1280) were achieved by the age group 31-40ys.Male gender was a risk factor as 48.2% of males were IHAT +ve. Contacting canal water tends to be advantageous for schistosomiasis mansoni as 72.6% had a history of canal contact and 96.7% of them achieved the highest titre. The alteration in the actual prevalence of schistosomiasis mansoni in Egypt with emergence of new foci
including Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Mersa-Matrouh and the north-eastern province alongside Suez Canal that may be explained by the associated socioepidemiologic risk factors.

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