Schistosoma infection in fecal and urine specimens from suspected patients was detected by microscopy. Schistosoma and CE infections were also detected by indirect hemagglutination assays (IHAs) using blood specimens. Patients\' epidemiological data were extracted from the laboratory records.
The overall prevalence rates of schistosomiasis and CE were 19.0 and 5.8%, respectively. Almost all schistosomiasis cases were seen among Egyptians, especially among males, and a significantly higher prevalence (p < 0.05) was seen for CE cases among the Syrian residents. A decreasing annual trend was observed for both the parasitic infections over time in Kuwait.
This study confirmed that schistosomiasis is not autochthonous in Kuwait, as all cases were detected among expatriates from Schistosoma-endemic countries. Our data also showed that CE remains endemic among humans and livestock in Kuwait as is also seen in other Middle Eastern countries.