Prevalence of Urinary Schistosomiasis Among Human Immuno-deficiency Virus Patients Attending Faith Alive Medical Centre in Jos North, Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

Prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis and some other human blood related parasitic diseases infecting   Patients in medical institutions in Nigeria have become a major concern following numerous observable clinical symptoms of these diseases mostly among Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) patients under surveillance by various health personnel in endemic localities. This has therefore generated various research interests among scholars of recent. In this paper, a similar situation among HIV Patients attending Faith Alive Medical Centre, in Jos North, Plateau State, Nigeria was considered. The study was aimed at determining the prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis among HIV patients. Blood and urine samples were collected for examination from willing patients in the medical centre. Parasitological screening for urinary schistosomiasis and detection of S. haematobium eggs was done, as urine samples were examined using the simple sedimentation method; while the simultaneously collected blood samples from a total of 210 HIV patients that visited the medical centre were further screened to reaffirm infection with the virus, using the recommended microscopy for HIV examination methods. Questionnaires were equally administered on the 210 confirmed HIV patients to determine their Knowledge, Attitude and Perception (KAP) in regards to urinary schistosomiasis. The data obtained from the laboratory screenings and retrieved questionnaires were analyzed using the R-console software (version 2.9.2) and simple collation of responses to questions to cover the supposed KAP studies of the patients respectively. The proportion of data for both samples examined was compared using chi-square test. The results obtained for urinary schistosomiasis prevalence among the reaffirmed HIV Patients in the study location was 4.3 % and 100% respectively. The differences in infection rate were however significant P<0.05. Infection rate in sex-related prevalence shows that for urinary schistosomiasis, females (4.5%) were slightly higher than males (3.9%); while that of confirmed HIV patients was 100%, yet no significant difference between both sexes was observed. Among age-related prevalence, the difference in urinary schistosomiasis infection was highly significant (P<0.001). Age groups 30-39yrs and 20-29yrs had the highest (5.9%) and (2.8%) prevalence rates for the disease, with similar age groups also been highest for the confirmed HIV Patients among the various age groups ranging between 10-19 and 60+. Results on occupation-related prevalence also showed highest among housewives and fishers/farmers (4.8%)each amongst other occupations examined. While the responses to questionnaires revealed that a total of 175, (male 50 and female’s 125) knowledge, attitude and perception regarding urinary schistosomiasis was positive and reassuring, as only 11 respondents were uncertain about the disease amongst 210 responses collated. Although low level prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis was confirmed amongst these reaffirmed HIV patients in the study location, an intensive medical attention is seriously advocated for both diseases to improve the health status of the people. While regular health awareness campaigns should serve as measure for enlightenment of the populace in order to keep the awareness level high, on HIV virus and its possible association among patients with other blood related diseases.