Schistosoma haematobium egg excretion does not increase after exercise : implications for diagnostic testing

Children are frequently invited to exercise before micturition, as it is believed that this activity will result in higher; Schistosoma haematobium; egg excretion, and hence, increases sensitivity of microscopic diagnoses. However, the evidence of this recommendation is scant. In the study presented here, 257 children, aged 2-15 years from south Côte d'Ivoire, provided urine samples for microscopy on consecutive days; one sample without prior exercise and one sample after exercise. Comparing the same individuals without and with prior exercise, sample positivity for; S. haematobium; (25.7% versus 23.0%,; P; = 0.31) and mean egg counts (10.2 eggs/10 mL versus 8.5 eggs/10 mL,; P; = 0.45) did not differ. Exercise before urine collection does not appear to increase; S. haematobium; egg excretion.