Ecological sanitation (Ecosan) consists in valuing human excreta as bio-fertilizer after treatment of feces by adding ash for composting and treatment of urine by storage in hermetically sealed containers. As schistosomiasis is endemic in the study area, the question is whether hygienization of schistosome-infected excreta is effective in eliminating them. The objective of the study is to determine the parasitic load of urine and feces, the parameters and the maximum time that influences the hygienization. A prevalence survey helped to identify and know the level of parasitic infestation of sick people.
Full urine and ash-treated stool samples collected from infected persons were analyzed daily and every 15 days. The pH and temperature values of each urine sample were recorded. The results show that the eggs of S. haematobium and S.mansoni disappear respectively after 30 and 15 days of hygienization. The parameters that influence the hygienization are the increase of the pH and the oscillation of the temperature. Ecosan would be a solution to fight against schistosomiasis because the application of sanitized urine and feces breaks the cycle of transmission of the disease.