STUDIES ON THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF SCHISTOSOMIASIS IN LIBERIA - THE PREVALENCE AND INTENSITY OF SCHISTOSOMAL INFECTIONS IN BONG COUNTY AND THE BIONOMICS OF THE SNAIL INTERMEDIATE HOSTS

Abstract

Urine samples from 3548 individuals residing in 6 of the 8 districts which comprise Bong County, Liberia, the project area of the Bong County Agricultural Development Project (BCADP), and fecal specimens from 3408 of these individuals were examined for schistosome ova. A total of 164 water sites, including rice paddies, were surveyed for schistosome vector snails and monthly changes in snail population density and infection rate were determined in selected water sites. Bulinus globosus was more widely distributed than Biomphalaria pfeifferi but the latter species showed a higher infection prevalence (12.3%) than the former one (10.3%). Snail population density and infection rate fluctuated with season, being higher in the dry season and lower during periods of heavy rainfall. Dessication and/or heat stress may have contributed to the contraction of snail population size at the end of the dry season. More water sites contained infected snails during Dec. through Feb. than at any other time of the year. In selected water sites examined at monthly intervals, mean snail density was higher in rice paddies than in other water contact sites but the latter showed a higher prevalence of infected snails than the former. The overall prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni (24.8%) was significantly higher than that of S. haematobium (22.7%) but the difference in prevalence rates of the 2 species in school children was not statistically significant. The intensity of S. haematobium infection (13.2 .hivin.xG) was significantly higher than that of S. mansoni (6.3 .hivin.xG). Mixed infections in school children did not have a significant effect on egg output. The prevalence and intensity of S. haematobium showed a dramatic decline between the age groups 0-15 and 20-50+ yr old; the differences between these age groups in S. mansoni infection were unremarkable. In Zota, Jorquelle and Kokoya Districts, prevalence rates of S. haematobium were higher than those of S. mansoni; the reverse was observed in Suakoko and Panta-Kpai Districts but relative prevalence rates varied according to specific locality in each district. A south to north stratification of schistosomal infection prevalence was observed similar to the west to east gradient reported by Saladin et al. (1980). New rice paddies developed during the 3 yr operational period of the BCADP contained little or no vector anails and schiscosomal infections in farm families of these paddies reflected the characteristic of the disease in corresponding localities. Older paddies, predating the operations of the BCADP, contained infected vector snails and farm families of some of these paddies showed higher prevalence rates of schistosomiasis than corresponding school children. The implications of these findings are discussed.