Abstract
Background: Urinary Schistosomiasis, caused by Schistosoma haematobium, is classically associated with rural areas that provide the hospitable condition for transmission. With the recent massive internal displacement, new communities were settled and created urban extensions to the big cities. These extensions bridged the space between the urban areas and the agricultural schemes around them. The area selected for this study is a good example for these settings. Given that the new population was displaced from known endemic areas, the transmission cycle seems to be completed. Objective: The aim of this study is to identify the frequency of urinary schistosomiasis among school children form Al-Takamul, which is a suburban district located in the Eastern Khartoum State. Materials and Methods: 150 school children were enrolled in this study, all were boys. Half of them were 11 year old or less. 20 ml of fresh voided urine (including terminal urine) were collected from each participant after a short period of exercise. Following physical and chemical examination, 10 ml sample of each specimen was centrifuged and the sediment was then thoroughly examined under the microscope. Results: 22% of study populations were found infected with S. haematobium (sensitivity 96.97%, specificity 100%), 87.9% of them were more than 11 year old (RR 2.23). 27.27% of the infected individuals had a history of past infection. 84.8% of infected population knew about schistosomiasis and its transmission. The results suggested that urban schistosomiasis is prevalent in the study area and it is presented with a distinguished pattern, that is, it is prevalent among children over 11 years old, and it is associated with knowledge but no awareness. Conclusion: The study area may be a potential focal point of urinary schistosomiasis transmission for neighboring areas. Massive survey and preventive chemotherapy is urgent.