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Background: The control of schistosomiasis in Nigeria is mainly by mass treatment with praziquantel through the school system, with an absence of any provision for pre-school children. We therefore determined the prevalence and intensity of urinary schistosomiasis in pre-school children between the ages of 1-6 years in Ilewo-Orile a rural and endemic community, near Abeokuta, Nigeria as part of providing information on the neglected tropical diseases among this age group. Two urine samples were collected from each pre-school child. The samples were tested for microhaematuria using reagent strips and then processed and examined with a microscope for Schistosoma haematobium ova. Results: Of the 167 children examined 97 (58.1%) had infection, with no significant difference (P = 0.809) in infection rates between boys (57.1%) and girls (59.2%). Both prevalence and intensity of infection did not increase significantly with age (P = 0.732). The overall geometric mean egg count was 1.17 eggs/10 ml urine. There was no significant association (P = 0.387) between intensity in boys (1.16 eggs/10 ml urine) and girls (1.19 eggs/10 ml urine). 47.4% of the children had microhaematuria which did not increase significantly with age (P = 0.526). Focus group discussions with guardians and caregivers revealed that infection of pre-school children early in life was due to exposures through bathing in the stream by their mothers, while the older children would visit the stream for washing, fetching of water, bathing and swimming. Conclusion: Community participatory health education is needed in this community as a first step in reducing infection and transmission of the disease, while the rehabilitation and repair of the existing water borehole system in the community should be effected. The results of this study have shown that pre-school children also harbour infection and are a source of transmission of schistosomiasis in endemic communities. Planning and provision for their treatment should be considered in control programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Simulum damnosum Theobald sensu lato (s.l.) is the vector of the parasitic filarial worm Onchocerca volvulus Leuckart which causes onchocerciasis. In order to understand the vector population dynamics, a preliminary 12 months entomological evaluation was carried out at Abeokuta, the Southwest Zone of Nigeria, an onchocerciasis endemic area, where vector control has not been previously initiated. S.damnosum s.l. flies were caught on human attractants between 700 to1800 hours each day, for 4 days each month, from August 2007 to July 2008. The flies caught were classified as either forest-dwelling or savanna-dwelling groups based on the colour of certain morphological characters. Climatic data such as rainfall, humidity and temperature were also collected monthly during the period of survey., Results: A total of 1,139 flies were caught, 596 (52.33%) were forest-dwelling group while 543 (47.67%) were savanna-dwelling group of S. damnosum s.l. The highest percentage of forest-dwelling group was caught in the month of August 2007 (78.06%) and the least percentage of forest-dwelling groups was caught in November 2007 (8.14%). The highest percentage of savannah-dwelling group was caught in the month of November 2007 (91.86%) and the least percentage of savannah-dwelling group was caught in August 2007 (21.94%). There was no significant difference between the population of forest and savannah-dwelling groups of the fly when the means of the fly population were compared (P = 0.830). Spearman correlation analysis showed a significant relationship between monthly fly population with monthly average rainfall (r = 0.550, n = 12, P = 0.033), but no significant relationship with monthly average temperature (r = 0.291, n = 12, P = 0.179). There was also a significant relationship between monthly fly population and monthly average relative humidity (r = 0.783, n = 12 P = 0.001). There was no significant correlation between the population of forest-dwelling group of S. damnosum s.l. and monthly average rainfall (r = 0.466, n = 12, P = 0.064) and monthly average temperature (r = 0.375, n = 12, P = 0.115) but there was significant correlation with monthly average relative humidity (r = 0.69, n = 12, P = 0.006). There was significant correlation between savannah-dwelling group and monthly average rainfall (r = 0.547, n = 12, P = 0.033), and monthly average relative humidity (r = 0.504, n = 12, P = 0.047) but there was no significant correlation with monthly average temperature (r = 0.142, n = 12, P = 0.329), Conclusion: The results from this study showed that both the forest and the savannah dwelling groups of S. damnosum s.l. were caught biting in the study area. This could have implications on the transmission and epidemiology of human onchocerciasis if not monitored.