Urine heme dipsticks are useful in monitoring the impact of Praziquantel treatment on Schistosoma haematobium in sentinel communities of Delta State, Nigeria

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Emmanuel Emukah, The Carter Center (Imo State, Nigeria); Julie R. Gutman, Emory University; John Eguagie, The Carter Center (Jos, Nigeria); Emmanuel S Miri, The Carter Center (Jos, Nigeria); Paul Yinkore, Ministry of Health, Nigeria; Ndudi Okocha, Ministry of Health, Nigeria; Victoria Jibunor, Ministry of Health, Nigeria; Nebe Obiageli, Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria; Nwoye Augustine Ikenna, Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria; Frank O. Richards, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2012-04
• Publisher: Elsevier: 12 months
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2012, Elsevier
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2012.01.002
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Acta Tropica
• ISSN: 0001-706X
• Volume: 122
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 126
• End Page: 131
• Grant/Funding Information: JG was supported in part by PHS Grant UL1 RR025008 and KL2 RR025009 from the Clinical and Translational Science Award program, National Institutes of Health, National Center for Research Resources.; We thank Chevron Nigeria Limited, the John Hussman Foundation, and the Izumi Foundation for funding support to the Delta State schistosomiasis program.
• Keywords: monitoring; hematuria; Mass Treatment; Nigeria; Praziquantel; Schistosomiasis
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Public Health

Abstract

Nigeria is highly endemic for infection with Schistosoma haematobium, which most commonly manifests itself with blood in urine. To monitor the impact of annual mass drug administration (MDA) with praziquantel for S. haematobium in Delta State, Nigeria, cross-sectional hematuria surveys of school children were conducted in 8 sentinel villages (SVs) at baseline (n=240) and after two annual doses (n=402). We assessed the comparability of three assessments of hematuria (child’s reported history, nurse visual diagnosis (NVD) and dipstick) to determine the need for mass treatment. Dipstick was considered to be the gold standard. Prior to treatment, history and NVD each identified only the 3 most highly prevalent SVs, and overall this represented just 37.5% of the 8 SVs in need of treatment. Following treatment, after dipstick prevalence decreased by 88.5% (p<0.001), and history and NVD identified only one of two villages still needing treatment. The study suggests that dipsticks should be the recommended method for launching and monitoring mass treatment for S. haematobium.