Microscopically detectable maternal schistosomiasis at delivery in Eastern Uganda: Prevalence, microscopy-based species distribution and associated household WASH characteristics in a hospital-based cross-sectional study

@article{sande2026microscopically,
  title = {{Microscopically detectable maternal schistosomiasis at delivery in Eastern Uganda: Prevalence, microscopy-based species distribution and associated household WASH characteristics in a hospital-based cross-sectional study}},
  author = {George Binna Sande and Musa Kasujja and Emmanuel Okurut and Maxwell Okello and Marie Pascaline Sabine Ishimwe and Theodore Nteziyaremye and John Yaweh and Daniel Mugabi and Sara Liban and Geoffrey Okot and G R Neel and Bot Yakubu Sunday and Matthew Chibunna Igwe and Amos Muhumuza and Theoneste Hakizimana},
  journal = {PLOS Global Public Health},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1371/journal.pgph.0006297},
  url = {https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0006297},
  note = {CC BY},
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Microscopically detectable maternal schistosomiasis at delivery in Eastern Uganda: Prevalence, microscopy-based species distribution and associated household WASH characteristics in a hospital-based cross-sectional study
AU  - George Binna Sande
AU  - Musa Kasujja
AU  - Emmanuel Okurut
AU  - Maxwell Okello
AU  - Marie Pascaline Sabine Ishimwe
AU  - Theodore Nteziyaremye
AU  - John Yaweh
AU  - Daniel Mugabi
AU  - Sara Liban
AU  - Geoffrey Okot
AU  - G R Neel
AU  - Bot Yakubu Sunday
AU  - Matthew Chibunna Igwe
AU  - Amos Muhumuza
AU  - Theoneste Hakizimana
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/23
JO  - PLOS Global Public Health
DO  - 10.1371/journal.pgph.0006297
UR  - https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0006297
AB  - Schistosomiasis remains an important but neglected public health problem in Uganda. We estimated its prevalence, microscopy-based species distribution and associated factors among women delivering at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital. A hospital-based analytical cross-sectional study included 392 women from 1 September to 30 December 2025. One stool and one urine specimen per participant were examined microscopically for Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression assessed associated factors; parsimonious conventional and Firth penalized models were used in sensitivity analyses. Microscopically detectable schistosomiasis was present in 44/392 women (11.2%; 95% CI: 8.5–14.8). Among microscopy-positive women, S. haematobium accounted for 63.6% of infections (95% CI: 48.2–76.7), S. mansoni for 29.5% (95% CI: 17.7–45.0), and mixed infection for 6.8% (95% CI: 2.1–19.6). Unimproved main water source (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.11; 95% CI: 1.46–6.64; p = 0.003), unimproved toilet facility (aOR = 4.40; 95% CI: 2.01–9.67; p < 0.001) and absence of a handwashing facility (aOR = 2.12; 95% CI: 1.02–4.41; p = 0.043) remained associated with microscopy-detected infection after adjustment. Women reporting fewer than four antenatal care contacts had higher adjusted odds than those reporting four to seven contacts (aOR = 8.43; 95% CI: 3.21–22.18; p < 0.001). The principal WASH associations remained consistent in sensitivity analyses. S. haematobium predominated among microscopy-classified infections. Household WASH characteristics remained associated with microscopy-detected infection, while the antenatal care association requires cautious interpretation. These cross-sectional findings do not establish causality but support further evaluation of context-appropriate schistosomiasis risk assessment within maternal health services and coordinated WASH and schistosomiasis-control strategies in endemic settings.
SN  - 2767-3375
ER  -