Schistosoma mansoni infection among prenatal attendees at a secondary-care hospital in central Sudan

Objective: To investigate the epidemiology of Schistosoma mansoni infection among pregnant women in a secondary-care hospital in Geizera state, Sudan. Method: Between August and September 2010, a cross-sectional study was conducted and questionnaires were administered to obtain basic sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics of pregnant women attending prenatal care at Araba Waeshreen Hospital. Stool samples were investigated for helminth infection via formol-ether concentration and Kato-Katz techniques. Results: Of 292 pregnant women, 38 (13.0%) had S. mansoni infections. Hymenolepis nana and hookworm infections were present in 5 (1.7%) and 1 (0.3%) women, respectively. The intensity of the S. mansoni infection was light, moderate, and high in 13 (34.2%), 21 (55.3%), and 4 (10.5%) women, respectively. In multivariate analyses, parity, gestational age, and occupation were not associated with S. mansoni infection, unlike maternal age less than 20 years (odds ratio [OR] 9.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5-16.3; P=0.01) and no education (OR 6.2; 95% Cl. 2.8-12.9; P<0.001). Conclusion: There was a high level of S. mansoni infection among pregnant women in the present setting, especially among younger women and those with no education. Control and preventive measures should be used in the area. (C) 2011 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.