TITLE:
Schistosoma mansoni and Soil Transmitted Helminth (STH) Infections among Pregnant Women Attending Primary Health Care Facilities in Lagos Mainland, Nigeria
AUTHORS:
Babatunde Adewale, Olalekan Rahaman, Oluwagbenga Aina, Medinat A. Sulyman
KEYWORDS:
Pregnancy, Schistosoma mansoni, Soil Transmitted Helmiths, Malaria
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.6 No.12,
December
13,
2018
ABSTRACT: In a
cross-sectional survey among consented pregnant women, rapid diagnostic test
(RDT) for malaria was carried out and stool examination was done to detect the
presence of Schistosoma mansoni and
soil transmitted helminthes using Kato-Katz
technique. Intensity of infection was expressed as the number of eggs per gram
(epg) of faeces. Prevalence of soil transmitted helminthes was 8.3% and 0.83%
for Schistosoma mansoni while none
was positive for malaria infection. Lack of co-infection with malaria could be
connected with the intermittent preventive treatment with sulphadoxine
pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP). Public health impact of soil transmitted
helminthes and schistosomiasis infections in pregnancy may necessitate
initiation of preventive treatment of helminth infections during pregnancy.