author(s)
Onuoha BC, Uzowuru DI and Nwanjo SO

abstract
A study was carried out to determine the prevalence of Schistosoma haematobium and distribution of infection among primary school children in Mbieri Community in Mbaitoli Local Government Area, Imo State, South-East Nigeria between May and October, 2017. Midstream urine was collected between 10am-1pm from a total of 300 subjects were examined. Four (4) primary schools were randomly selected for the study. Standard parasitological method of Schistosomiasis analysis was adopted. Out of 300 samples collected from the pupils, result shows overall prevalence of 66(22.0%). In sex related prevalence, males 38(22.1%) were insignificantly higher than the females 28(21.9%) counterparts. The highest prevalence of (29.1%) was recorded amongst the 8-9years, followed by 10-11years with (20.0%) while the least prevalence of (17.1%) was recorded amongst 12-13years. The highest prevalence of (26.9%) was recorded amongst pupils in class 3, followed by class 4 (23.8%) while the least prevalence of (15.8%) was recorded amongst class 1. Parents’ occupation related prevalence showed that children whose parents were farmers (35.6%) had more infection than others while the least infected children are those whose parents were health workers (8.0%). There is a need for health/hygiene education in the rural area, designed to encourage the pupils to urinate and defecate in latrine and never in or near water bodies, treatment of infected host, elimination of snail intermediate host, provision of sufficient safe water for domestic use.