CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease of urinary and intestinal tracts by schistosome. A specie which infect the urinary bladder is caused by schnstosome haematobuim widely  found in Africa and was first discovered by bilharza in 1851 in Egyptian mummies and He also carried out an urogential tract autopsy. About 20million people are infected with schnstosome parasite, those  who get heavy infection are especially or death. Billaries modify dictimery (1998) defined Schistosomiasis as infection disease of man caused by blood flukes of genus schnstosome. It is one of the most serious parasitic infection of man, affecting millions of people in tropical and sub-tropical regions of Africa, Asia and west Indies.
Schistosomiasis  presents a constant threat to as many as 600millons people as they perform daily activities related to water, such like swimming, washing and bathing ( Bayers 1984) this Schistosomiasis affect for different prpolation from as a result of human contact with infected water, they includes (a) occupational  (b) recreational (c) domestic (d) socio- cultural (Ukoli 1984) The three main species of schnstosome responsible for human infection are schnistasoma japonicum. Four other species occurring much less commonly are interculum, S matter, S bovis and S meking
The blood flukes in schnstosome is a long narrow known as Schistosomiasis or bilharziasis. schnstosome that livers in the urinary bladder of man is known as schisotosoma haematobium while that in the intestine is . schistosoms mansm, and also schistosnma japonicum,
Ramsay (1934) reported that male and female worms are separated individual but the female is smaller and is carried in a groove on the under surface of the male and lives in the vein of the host. The female lays eggsin the walls of the bladder and intestine causing inflammation and bleeding. The eggs are excreted with body wastes and find their way to water contaminated by several different water snail example bulinus which is the intermediate host of  schrostome haematobium. Schistosomiasis is very wide spread and associated with poverty, poor housing and inadequate sanitary facilities and unsanitary human behavior.
As compiled by ukoli (1984) schistosoma has been found to be a disease rampart and highly prevalent in the revenuer areas, where man contact with infected water while performing their Agricultural activities. Ishiehy Amagunze using annual the river Afavu having an agricultural base with the people contact with the infected water and swampy soil, there is the tendency of the disease which manifest in the people with symptoms as haematuria tenderness of lower etc. It is prevalence in Armagunze increases as the people gets more into contact with the water bodies this makes water bodies unsafe for Agricultural recreational activities enchangers farm works and use of the water contact relation for the people have increased alarming due to the poor facilities and recreational features. hence, there is need to redetemine the level of Schistosomiasis in Ishelu Amagume, Nkanu local government