Schistosomiasis Mansoni: A survey of its incidence at Luampa Hospital

Abstract

Because of the frequent finding of Schistosoma Mansoni in the stools of patients seen at Luampa Mission Hospital, it was decided to endeavour to determine the incidence of the parasite in this area. Luampa Mission is located on the Luampa River in the Mankoya District of Barotse Province, 35 miles S-W. of Mankoya Boma. The report is based on stool examinations of 436 patients picked at random from people attending the OutPatient Department between June lst and July 31st,1968. The specimens were examined by the direct smear method, and many of those proving negative were then concentrated and examined again. However few of the latter were found to be positive, and we came to the conclusion that it was not worth the extra time to repeat the examination. Also because of shortage of personnel, we examined only one specimen in the majority of patients. (Where a second or third examination was made the parasite was found in at least a few cases, justifying the assumption that the incidence in this locality is even higher than our figures show.) Urinalysis was done on most of the patients in this series, but Schistosoma Haematobium was not found in a single instance in the urine. In one patierit both S.mansoni and S. haematobium were found in the stool. (In the past two years only about 5 cases of urinary b`ilharzia have been diagnosed in this Hospital.) One patient in this series, and one seen prior to the commencement of this survey had clinical and X-Ray evidence of cor pulmonale. Both had S. mansoni. present in the stools, and enlargement of both liver and spleen. (The latter of these two was also one of the few cases of urinary bilharzia we have seen here.) 67 of the patients were children (i.e. under 15 years) and 369 were adults, of whom 265 were women and 104 men. There was an equal number of boys and girls in the series, and the incidence of positive results was approximately the same-60%. Among the adults however, there was a much higher incidence among women than among men-65 % and 43 % respectively.