Scholarlink

Background <p>Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects over 250 million people globally, with Ethiopia being an endemic region. The Shabelle River in the Somali Regional State provides an ideal habitat for transmission. Although earlier studies confirmed the presence of schistosomiasis in parts of the Mustahil and Kalafo districts, recent and comprehensive epidemiological data for the wider area remain limited. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the epidemiology of schistosomiasis in villages along the Shabelle River in the Kalefo, Mustahil, and Fer-fer Districts of the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia.</p> Methods <p>A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from August to December 2023 among 1200 participants aged ≥ 5&#xa0;years. Sociodemographic data, water-contact behaviors, and sanitation practices were collected through questionnaires and observations. Urine and stool samples were analyzed to diagnose <i>Schistosoma</i> infection. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the risk factors.</p> Results <p>The overall prevalence of schistosomiasis was 29% (95% CI: 25.99%–31.21%), with <i>S. haematobium</i> (22.17%; 95% CI: 19.76%–24.74%) being more prevalent than <i>S. mansoni</i> (6.42%; 95% CI: 5.09%–7.97%). Significant risk factors included receiving health information from professionals (AOR = 3.73), female-dominant bathing practices (AOR = 0.27), adult fishing (AOR = 0.25), and longer residence duration (AOR = 0.17–0.20). Limited sanitation access (10.25%) and a high reliance on river water (69.83%) were the major contributors to transmission.</p> Conclusions <p>This study found a high prevalence of schistosomiasis (29%) along the Shabelle River, with <i>S. haematobium</i> (22.16%) being more prevalent than <i>S. mansoni</i> (6.41%). Key risk factors included limited sanitation access (10.25%), high reliance on river water (69.83%), and low awareness of transmission (18.42%). Adult fishermen had lower infection odds, whereas those receiving health information from professionals had higher odds, likely due to reverse causality. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions that combine health education, improved WASH infrastructure, and MDA to reduce transmission in endemic areas.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Epidemiology and Current Challenges of Human Schistosomiasis Along the Shabelle River, Somali Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月14日

查看全文
  • Dek Kahin Yosef,
  • Ahmed Ismail Ahmed

摘要

Background

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects over 250 million people globally, with Ethiopia being an endemic region. The Shabelle River in the Somali Regional State provides an ideal habitat for transmission. Although earlier studies confirmed the presence of schistosomiasis in parts of the Mustahil and Kalafo districts, recent and comprehensive epidemiological data for the wider area remain limited. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the epidemiology of schistosomiasis in villages along the Shabelle River in the Kalefo, Mustahil, and Fer-fer Districts of the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia.

Methods

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from August to December 2023 among 1200 participants aged ≥ 5 years. Sociodemographic data, water-contact behaviors, and sanitation practices were collected through questionnaires and observations. Urine and stool samples were analyzed to diagnose Schistosoma infection. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the risk factors.

Results

The overall prevalence of schistosomiasis was 29% (95% CI: 25.99%–31.21%), with S. haematobium (22.17%; 95% CI: 19.76%–24.74%) being more prevalent than S. mansoni (6.42%; 95% CI: 5.09%–7.97%). Significant risk factors included receiving health information from professionals (AOR = 3.73), female-dominant bathing practices (AOR = 0.27), adult fishing (AOR = 0.25), and longer residence duration (AOR = 0.17–0.20). Limited sanitation access (10.25%) and a high reliance on river water (69.83%) were the major contributors to transmission.

Conclusions

This study found a high prevalence of schistosomiasis (29%) along the Shabelle River, with S. haematobium (22.16%) being more prevalent than S. mansoni (6.41%). Key risk factors included limited sanitation access (10.25%), high reliance on river water (69.83%), and low awareness of transmission (18.42%). Adult fishermen had lower infection odds, whereas those receiving health information from professionals had higher odds, likely due to reverse causality. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions that combine health education, improved WASH infrastructure, and MDA to reduce transmission in endemic areas.