A study of Schistosoma haematobium egg counts was made in a community near Alexandria. This showed that the intensity of infection was similar to that which has been reported in some of the comparable surveys which have been made in sub-Saharan Africa. This finding highlights the need for further studies in defined communities of the pathogenicity of the infection. The egg counts of subjects who recalled treatment with tartar emetic within the last two years were similar to those who said they had never been treated. This suggests that the cost effectiveness of chemotherapeutic methods needs further evaluation.