Schistosomiasis Outbreak Investigation in Charikpong Sub-district

On the 3rd of February 2019 clinicians from the Nadowli District Hospital notified the Nadowli-Kaleo district public health unit of two confirmed Schistosoma haematobium cases at the hospital laboratory the previous day. The index cases were two male children aged 10 and 16 years who resided in Charikpong. These two cases presented with haematuria and lower abdominal pain for which urine samples were taken. Two additional male cases aged 11 and 13 years were confirmed positive on 5th and 25th February 2019 respectively. On the 11th March 2019 the district team followed up and confirmed 67 additional cases from Charikpong sub-district of Nadowli-Kaleo district. The District Director of Health Services Nadowli-Kaleo district informed the Upper West Regional Health Directorate and the Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (GFELTP). Following this a team from GFELTP was constituted to investigate the outbreak.