Prevalence of schistomasiasis lesions detected by ultrasonography in children in Molodo, Mali

AIM: To study schistomasiasis infection in school children in Molodo, an irrigated rice growing region of Mali, by determining the prevalence of schistomasiasis and lesions identified by ultrasonography among children living in this region. METHODS: This cross sectional study included 346 children aged 7 to 14 years selected at random from five schools in Molodo. We tested for hematuria using urine dipsticks and searched for Schistosoma haematobium eggs in urine and S. mansoni eggs in stools. Ultrasonography of the liver, spleen and urinary tract was performed. RESULTS: The prevalences of Schistosoma haematobium and S. mansoni infection were 72% (range: 66.9-76.6%) and 68.2% (range: 60.9-71.2%) respectively; 55.1% of the children had co-infection. Ultrasonography of the urinary tract revealed an irregular bladder wall as the most frequent abnormality (3.4% of children). Abdominal ultrasonography demonstrated type B hepatic fibrosis in four children (1.1%), type C in one (0.3%) and type D in one (0.3%). CONCLUSION: Few schistosomiasis lesions were detected by ultrasonography compared with the prevalence of S. haematobium and S. mansoni infections. This observation is probably related to mass treatment programs conducted during a national anti-schistosomiasis program.