Risk factors and ultrasound aspects associated with Urogenital Schistosomiasis among primary school children in Mali (West Africa)

Abstract Background:Urogenital schistosomiasis is endemic in Mali and a major cause of morbidity in large parts of the world. It is of great socioeconomic and public health importance and has important consequences. The aim of our work was to study the risk factors and ultrasound aspects associated with urogenital schistosomiasis. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in November 2021 with 971 children aged 6 to 14 years randomly recruited in six schools in three districts in the Kayes region. Demographic, socioeconomic and clinical data were collected. Hematuria was systematically searched by strips and Schistosoma haematobium eggs in urine detected by the filtration method. The urinary tract was examined by ultrasound. Associations between each of these variables and disease infection were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. Results: The overall prevalence was 50.2% with an average intensity of 36 eggs (1 to 1020 eggs)/10mL of urine. Urogenital schistosomiasis infection did not vary according to sex or age group. There is no correlation between risk factors and the urogenital schistosomiasis infection. Hematuria was strongly associated with urogenital schistosomiasis infection (p<0.0001). Among the 240 children who participated to the ultrasound examinations, focal lesion on bladder was observed, while ultrasound findings of the urethra and kidneys revealed a very low rate of dilatation. Conclusion: This work shows that parasitological findings and ultrasound signs, especially bladder lesions, were strongly associated with urinary schistosomiasis (p<0.0001). Despite of mass drug administration based on Praziquantel urogenital schistosomiasis infection is still endemic in the study site.