Reduced contact with natural water bodies through provision of water supplies in an S. Manson endemic area - abstract

ABSTRACT

Water supplies are being installed in an area where there is a high prevalence of S. mansoni in an endeavour to determine the efficacy of this method of schistosomiasis control. The rural water system incorporates the supply of water to each household, laundry and shower units, and a simple swimming pool. In the first settlement in which water has been made available, post-control water contact studies show that compared with pre-control data, contact with natural water bodies has been reduced by approximately 80 percent. Further studies are being made to obtain parasitological evidence that this is reducing the incidence and prevalence of S. mansoni (AU)