Authors

O G Ajakaye²; A G Dagona³; A G Haladu⁴; A Ombugadu¹; E E Enabulele⁵;  ¹ Federal University Lafia,Nassarawa State,Nigeria, Nigeria;  ² Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo state., Nigeria;  ³ Federal University, Gashua, Yobe state, Nigeria;  ⁴ Bauchi State University, Gadua, Bauchi state, Nigeria;  ⁵ Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA; University of Benin, Edo State, Nigeria

Discussion

Wetlands are an important contributor to the global burden of infectious diseases including schistosomiasis. Though, the use of wetlands for pastoralism has been linked to schistosomiasis, there is limited information on the epidemiology of the disease among pastoralists in Nigeria. In this study, urine samples from 355 participants from pastoral communities settled around three RAMSAR wetlands in Nigeria (Dagona Sanctuary, Maladumba, and Pandam-Wase lake) were screened for the eggs of Schistosoma haematobium. Only participants in the Dagona Sanctuary were infected with a prevalence of 34.2%. Macrohematuria was observed in some individuals at the Dagona Sanctuary wetland (2.5%) and Maladumba (2%). Four species of snails; Bulinus globusus, Melanoides tuberculata, Gabiella spp and Bellamya spp were recovered from the study sites and only one B. globusus shed ocellate-furcocercaria. Schistosomiasis control in Nigeria requires the inclusion of pastoral and nomadic communities in mass drug administration of praziquantel based on a community directed intervention strategy.
Keywords: Schistosomiasis, RAMSAR, Wetlands, Pastoralists, Nigeria