RESUMO
The study was implemented in Sharkia Governorate, to determine the magnitude of schistosomiasis in urban areas. A multistage sampling technique was the method chosen to carry out the study. According to the population size, the urban areas of Sharkia Governorate were classified into two strata: small sized cities and large sized cities. Two cities were selected randomly from each stratum. Among the 5012 individuals selected from the four cities, 3524 and 3457 individuals gave urine and stool specimens respectively. An overall prevalence of 6.8% was observed for Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni) infection with a geometric mean egg count (GMEC) of 45.8 eggs per gram stool. Only three cases of Schistosoma haematobium were detected. Results of the survey suggest that small sized cities had a significantly higher level of infection than large sized cities. Age and sex related prevalence and intensities showed that the highest rates were noticed among adult males.
