HUMAN-BEHAVIOR, WATER USAGE AND SCHISTOSOMIASIS TRANSMISSION IN A SMALL SETTLEMENT NEAR YOLA, NIGERIA

A study of the social, environmental and parasitological factors invol ved in the transmission of schistosomiasis among 1834 residents of a s mall settlement within an agricultural establishment near Yola, Nigeri a, was carried out between June 1991 and May 1992. Water-contact rates and the prevalences of urinary schistosomiasis and intestinal schisto somiasis (40.0% of all contacts, 98% and 79%, respectively) were highe st among children of 5-12 years, who were also the major contributors to the contamination of the Lake Geriyo environment with faeces and ur ine. The frequency and duration of water contact followed a seasonal p attern and seemed to be influenced by physiological and social needs s uch as defecation, urination and avoidance of harsh weather conditions . The interplay between a need for water contact, sanitation, freshwat er snails and a supportive environment ensures a recycling of parasite s within the studied community. This, in turn, helps to maintain a par asite bank from which infection is probably spread to other areas of t he state. The present study is part of a series, on the dynamics of sc histosomiasis transmission, which began with a study of the ecology of the freshwater snails in the same area.