Two cases of urinary schistosomiasis with unusual egg presentations: Dra 1 repeat sequence not detected

Abstract

Introduction: Schistosoma haematobium is the primary cause of urinary schistosomiasis in man. It is rare to find other human schistosome species in urine because they are located in the intestines, or those of animal origin. Mixed infections of human and animal species of schistosomes may occur in cattle breeding areas like Nigeria. Case Report: During a prevalence study on urinary schistosomiasis, two teenage boys from different local government areas (LGAs) of Kaduna State, Nigeria had mixed urinary Schistosoma infections. Their urine samples were centrifuged at 3000 rpm (revolutions per minute) for 5 minutes. Microscopic examination of the urine sediments revealed highly polymorphic eggs (or morphotypes). After subjecting the genomic DNA for detection of S. haematobium Dra 1 tandem repeat sequence by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), it was not amplified. However, there was amplification in a classical urinary schistosomiasis caused by S. haematobium (which served as positive control). Conclusion: Unusual egg presentations in urinary schistosomiasis may present a dilemma in making diagnostic conclusion. Hence, these two cases suggest the possibility of human–animal Schistosoma hybrids circulating in the area, especially S. haematobium–S. bovis hybrids.