Prevalence and Determinants of Schistosoma mansoni Infection among Pre-School Age Children in Southern Ethiopia

School-based deworming program is implemented to control and eliminate Schistosoma mansoni infection in many endemic countries, including Ethiopia. However, pre-school-age children (pre-SAC) are not targeted to receive preventive chemotherapy against S. mansoni infection, partly due to a lack of information on the disease burden. We assessed the prevalence and correlates of S. mansoni infection among pre-SAC in Southern Ethiopia. A total of 1683 pre-SAC aged 4 to 7 years were screened for S. mansoni infection. A multilevel binary logistic regression was fitted to detect the significant determinants of S. mansoni infection. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to identify determinants of S. mansoni infection. The overall prevalence of S. mansoni infection was 14.3% (95% CI: 12.6, 16.0%). S. mansoni infection was significantly higher among 6-year-old (AOR = 2.58, 95% CI: 1.55, 4.27) and 7-year-old children (AOR = 4.63, 95% CI: 2.82, 7.62). Accompanying others to water sources sometimes (AOR = 2.60, 95% CI: 1.12, 6.01) and all the time (AOR = 5.91, 95% CI: 2.51, 13.90), and residing in less than one kilometer from the infested water source (AOR = 3.17, 95% CI: 1.47, 6.83) increased the odds of S. mansoni infection. In conclusion, the prevalence of S. mansoni infection among pre-SAC in the study area was moderate. The study highlights the urgent need to include pre-SAC aged 4 to 7 years in annual preventive chemotherapy campaigns to reduce the risk of possible sources of infection and enhance the achievement of the elimination target.

Automated summary

The prevalence and factors associated with Schistosoma mansoni infection among pre-school-age children in Southern Ethiopia were assessed. The overall prevalence of S. mansoni infection was 14.3%, with significantly higher rates among 6-year-old and 7-year-old children. Accompanying others to water sources and residing near infested water sources increased the odds of S. mansoni infection. The study highlights the urgent need to include pre-SAC aged 4 to 7 years in preventive chemotherapy campaigns.