Aa. Gbakima, INLAND VALLEY SWAMP RICE DEVELOPMENT - MALARIA, SCHISTOSOMIASIS, ONCHOCERCIASIS IN SOUTH CENTRAL SIERRA-LEONE, Public health, 108(2), 1994, pp. 149-157
The prevalence of malaria, schistosomiasis and onchocerciasis was dete
rmined in 1,106 residents of five villages in the Moyamba District, So
uthern Sierra Leone, to determine whether inland valley swamp (IVS) de
velopment was associated with changes in the prevalence of malaria, sc
histosomiasis and onchocerciasis in these villages. These parasitic di
seases were studied in four villages receiving IVS, Food and Agricultu
ral Organization (FAO) assistance and in one village not receiving FAO
assistance. Malaria was the most prevalent infection, detected in 42.
6% of the persons examined, followed by O. volvulus (17.7%), S. haemat
obium (0.6%) and S. mansoni (0.3%). Plasmodium falciparum accounted fo
r 90.4% of the malaria infections, followed by P. malaria (2.1%), P. o
vale (0.5%), and mixed infections (7.0%). The trend of infection to O.
volvulus increased significantly with an increase in age. S. haematob
ium (0.6%) and S. mansoni (0.3%) infections were low and no Biomphalar
ia pfeifferi and Bulinus globosus were found in 33 IVS development swa
mps examined. These data indicate that IVS development is associated w
ith an increase in the prevalence of malaria infection, but not in the
prevalence of O. volvulus, S. haematobium and S. mansoni.