COMPARISON OF URINE FILTRATION AND A CHEMICAL REAGENT STRIP IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF URINARY SCHISTOSOMIASIS IN ETHIOPIA

The diagnostic efficacy of a chemical reagent strip (Ames Multistix) w as compared with syringe-Nytrel urine filtration technique in the dete ction of S. haematobium infection at varying disease endemicity levels in the Awash Valley of Ethiopia. In low endemicity area (Afambo), the reagent strip showed highest sensitivity, specificity, positive predi ctive value and negative predictive value of 80%, 96%, 40% and 99% res pectively at ''1+limit'' of microhaematuria. In the moderate (Dahitele ) to high (Enta Doyta) areas, the highest diagnostic values of 77%, 83 %, 56% and 93% respectively and 78%, 67%, 51% and 87% respectively wer e obtained at ''trace limit''. Using these cut-off points of haematuri a, the prevalences of S. haematobium were 4.5%, 30.8% and 47% at low, moderate and high endemicity areas compared to 3.2%, 21% and 31% respe ctively using the filtration technique. A highly significant (maximum Kendall's tau=0.44271;p<0.002) was observed between N+1 transformed ge ometric mean egg counts and micro-haematuria in the 10-19 years of age at all levels of endemicity. The efficacy and simplicity of chemical reagent strips and limitations of single parasitological examinations Pre discussed.