Prevalence of <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i> Infection and Associated Factors After a Decade of Mass Drug Administration in the Amhara Regional State, Northwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: remains a significant public health problem in Ethiopia despite over a decade of deworming targeting school-aged children (SACs), often neglecting adults. Prevalence surveys relying on the Kato-Katz (KK) technique may underestimate infection, highlighting the need for updated data using more sensitive diagnostics. Methods: infection was assessed using KK and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on stool, and point-of-care circulating cathodic antigen (POC-CCA) on urine. Egg counts from 2 KK readers were averaged to determine final eggs per gram (epg). Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 21; descriptive statistics and poisson regression model with cluster-robust standard errors were analyzed. Results: = 0.018). Conclusions: infection remains highly prevalent among both SACs and adults in the study area. In SACs, key risk factors included swimming or bathing in surface water, participation in agricultural activities and lack of awareness about the disease, while in adults, crossing water barefoot increased infection risk. These findings highlight the need to expand deworming programs to adults and implement targeted interventions, including health education and improved water access, to reduce transmission in endemic areas.