Proteinuria as a Morbidity Marker of Urinary Schistosomiasis in School Children Living in Onchocerciasis Endemic Areas of Benue State, Nigeria

Proteinuria is an indirect marker of urinary schistosomiasis in endemic areas but cases of misdiagnosis could occur in areas where other diseases that produce proteinuria overlap with urinary schistosomiasis. The study was conducted to assess whether proteinuria measured by urine reagent strips could be used as a rapid screening technique of urinary schistosomiasis in onchocerciasis endemic areas. Urine reagent strips and filtration technique were used to screen proteinuria and to determine Schistosoma haematobium eggs in 1,124 school children respectively. Our findings demonstrate that proteinuria positively correlated with intensity of infection (rho=0.71, p<0.01), highly sensitive (95.7%) and moderately specific (67.7%). We suggest that measuring proteinuria using urine reagent strips may be useful for diagnostic purposes, monitoring and evaluating urinary schistosomiasis in onchocerciasis endemic areas. Furthermore, we recommend that additional research should be done to further elucidate the relationship between proteinuria and pathological changes of the urinary tract that may be attributed to infection with Schistosoma haematobium in onchocerciasis endemic areas.