Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites and urinary schistosomiasis and biting insects in an area of endemic onchocerciasis in Benue State on Nigeria

Investigation carried out in an area of Benue State which had been found to be endemic for onchocerciasis showed that the area was also endemic for intestinal parasites especially hookworm, ascariasis and amoebiasis. 67% of the 1538 stools examined carried helminth eggs and/or protozoan cysts and 15% of the 685 urine specimens examined possessed ova of S. haematobium. Incidence of hookworm infection ascariasis and schistosomiasis was higher in the younger age groups (1-30 years) while that of amoebiasis was higher in the older age groups. Insects caught while biting humans include Tabanus, Haematopota, Stomoxys, Glossina and Culicoides species, a substantial preportion of which was engorged with fresh blood.