Studies on the Ecological Factors of Schistosoma Intermediate Host in Relation to the Transmission of Urinary Schistosomiasis in Owena Reservoir Area, Ondo State, Southwest, Nigeria

Aims: To evaluate the studies on the ecological factors of schistosoma intermediate host in relation to
the transmission of urinary schistosomiasis in owena reservoir area, Ondo State, South West, Nigeria
Study Design: Laboratory work, field trips, questionnaire were used to collect data for the study.
Place and Duration of Study: Owena reservoir area, Ondo State, South West Nigeria, twenty-four
(August 2013 – July 2015)
Methodology: During the twenty-four (August 2013 – July 2015) study eight stations (sites) of diverse
ecological characteristics were selected along the Owena Reservoir and monitored for snails species
diversity, distribution and infection patterns, physic-chemical properties of H2O and macrophyte types
and coverage in relation to the transmission of urinary schistosomiasis.
Results: The results of the study showed that all the snail species correlated positively with alkalinity
conductive, negatively with air temperature. Bulinus globosus was very highly correlated positively
(P<0.05) with Ludwiga erecta, Ludwiga decurrens, Commelina afircna and Berberis calamus but
correlated significantly negatively (p<0.001) with panicum maximus, Ervatomia hirta, Bulinus
truncatus was very highly correlated positively (p<0.005) with Aspillia Africana, Lugwiga decurrens,
Emilia occinina, Crosus sativue but correlated significantly negatively (p<0.001) with Ludwiga erecta,
Panicum maximus and Commelina Africana. Out of the eight sites studied, site 4 in Kajola community
had the highest 53(8.5%) infection rate that is out of the 624 Bulinus globosus collected from this site
4, only 53 were infected, while Embankment/Dam (site 8) had the least 2 (0.6%) of 317 collected.
However, the overall infection rate among Bulinus globosus, the intermediate snail host species for
Schistosoma haematobium was 136 (3.2%) out of 4258 collected. From the above findings, site 4 in
Kajola community is the major transmission site in the study area.