Prévalence de la schistosomiase chez les enfants d’âge préscolaire dans la Zone de santé rurale de Kasansa au Kasaï- Oriental, en République Démocratique Du Congo

Abstract

Context and objective. Schistosomiasis control focuses primarily on infections among school-aged children and, to a lesser extent, on at risk-adults. However, recent studies in Africa have reported high prevalence among preschool children. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of schistosomiasis among preschool children in the Kasansa health zone (HZ) and to identify associated risk factors. Methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out in six health areas (HA) of the Kasansa rural HZ. Preschool children were recruited through multistage sampling. Schistosome infection was assessed using the Kato-Katz and urine filtration techniques. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were used to identify risk factors associated to schistosomiasis. Results. A total of 368 preschool children were examined. The overall prevalence of Schistosomiasis was 30.4% (95% CI: 25.9 - 35.3), with only Schistosoma mansoni detected. Prevalence varied significantly across the studied HAs, ranging from 0% to 53.5%. Residing in the Kasansa (aOR =16.5; p= 0.0001) or Nsangu (AOR =9.2; p= 0.0001) HAs was associated with increased risk, whereas bathing with well water appears to be protective (aOR =0.3; 0.0077). Conclusion. The study revealed a high prevalence of intestinal schistosomiasis among preschool children in the Kasansa HZ. Received: November 1st, 2025 Accepted: June 11th, 2025 https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/aamed.v18i4.4