Incidence of Blindness during the Onchocerciasis Control Programme in Western Africa, 1971–2002

Little, Mark P.; Basáñez, María‐Gloria; Breitling, Lutz P.; Boatin, Boakye A.; Alley, E. S.

doi:10.1086/383326

Cited by 43 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Their incidence has been dramatically reduced in areas where control programs are implemented (59). The occurrence of ocular pathology varies between geographical locations, being more common in savannah areas of West Africa and Central Africa and in Latin America (6), and has been related to various factors, such as localization of nodules in the upper part of the body (60), vector species (3), microfilarial burdens (47), and parasite strain (88), and more recently to a higher Wolbachia load in the more virulent savannah strain (28). The most common ocular pathology involves the cornea, but other structures of the anterior segment and the posterior segment can also be affected.…”

Section: Disease Manifestationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Onchocerciasis: the Role of Wolbachia Bacterial Endosymbionts in Parasite Biology, Disease Pathogenesis, and Treatment

et al. 2011

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SUMMARY The discovery of Wolbachia intracellular bacteria within filarial nematodes, including Onchocerca volvulus , the causative agent of onchocerciasis or “river blindness,” has delivered a paradigm shift in our understanding of the parasite's biology, to where we now know that the bacterial endosymbionts are essential for normal development of larvae and embryos and may support the long-term survival of adult worms. The apparent mutualistic dependency has also offered a novel approach to the treatment of onchocerciasis through the use of antibiotics to eliminate Wolbachia , delivering for the first time a treatment which has significant macrofilaricidal efficacy. Studies with other filarial nematode species have also highlighted a role for Wolbachia in transmission and infection of the mammalian host through a fascinating manipulation of mast cell-mediated vasodilation to enhance infectivity of vector-borne larvae. Wolbachia has also been identified as the principal driver of innate and adaptive Th1 inflammatory immunity, which can either contribute to disease pathogenesis or, with the Wolbachia -mediated recruitment of mast cells, enhance infectivity. The Wolbachia activation of innate inflammation also drives inflammatory adverse events in response to chemotherapy with either diethylcarbamazine (DEC) or ivermectin. In this review we summarize the experimental and field trial data which have uncovered the importance of Wolbachia symbiosis in onchocerciasis.

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Section: Disease Manifestationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Onchocerciasis: the Role of Wolbachia Bacterial Endosymbionts in Parasite Biology, Disease Pathogenesis, and Treatment

et al. 2011

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“…Recent reports indicate that these data were underestimated: 37 million people are now thought to be infected, with 90 million more at risk, in sub-Saharan Africa, and there are an estimated 400,000 infections in Latin America. In Africa, the disease is considered to have a high prevalence and morbidity has increased 29 . In the Americas, foci of the disease were found in six countries (Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Brazil).…”

Section: Onchocerciasismentioning

confidence: 99%

Neglected tropical diseases in Brazil

Lindoso

2009

Rev. Inst. Med. trop. S. Paulo

121

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Poverty is intrinsically related to the incidence of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). The main countries that have the lowest human development indices (HDI) and the highest burdens of NTDs are located in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Among these countries is Brazil, which is ranked 70th in HDI. Nine out of the ten NTDs established by the World Health Organization (WHO) are present in Brazil. Leishmaniasis, tuberculosis, dengue fever and leprosy are present over almost the entire Brazilian territory. More than 90% of malaria cases occur in the Northern region of the country, and lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis occur in outbreaks in a particular region. The North and Northeast regions of Brazil have the lowest HDIs and the highest rates of NTDs. These diseases are considered neglected because there is not important investment in projects for the development of new drugs and vaccines and existing programs to control these diseases are not sufficient. Another problem related to NTDs is co-infection with HIV, which favors the occurrence of severe clinical manifestations and therapeutic failure. In this article, we describe the status of the main NTDs currently occurring in Brazil and relate them to the HDI and poverty.

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“…Chorioretinitis, chorioretinal atrophy, and posterior eye disease are less common but occur in forest and savannah regions. The risk of ocular disease is correlated with increasing microfilarial burden [18]. Consequently, ocular manifestations are exceedingly rare in Latin America, where transmission by the vector is much less intense, and in travelers to onchocerciasis-endemic areas, including the savannah regions of Africa [12,19].…”

Section: Onchocerciasismentioning

confidence: 99%

Filarial infections in travelers and immigrants

Klion

2008

Curr Infect Dis Rep

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Filarial infections including loiasis, onchocerciasis, and lymphatic filariasis are important causes of morbidity in endemic populations worldwide, and they present a risk to travelers to endemic areas. Definitive diagnosis is complicated by overlap in the geographic distribution and clinical manifestations of the different filarial parasites, as well as similarities in their antigenic and nucleic acid composition. This has important implications for treatment, because the efficacies and toxicities of available antifilarial agents differ dramatically among filarial species. Recent advances, including the visualization of adult filarial worms in vivo by high-frequency ultrasound and the identification of the bacterial endosymbiont, Wolbachia, have greatly improved our understanding of the pathogenesis of filarial infection and have led to novel approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of travelers and immigrants from filarial-endemic regions.

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Incidence of Blindness during the Onchocerciasis Control Programme in Western Africa, 1971–2002

Abstract: We demonstrate, in a comprehensive data set and in both sexes, a direct relationship between microfilarial load and the incidence of blindness.

Cited by 43 publications

References 26 publications

Onchocerciasis: the Role of Wolbachia Bacterial Endosymbionts in Parasite Biology, Disease Pathogenesis, and Treatment

Onchocerciasis: the Role of Wolbachia Bacterial Endosymbionts in Parasite Biology, Disease Pathogenesis, and Treatment

Neglected tropical diseases in Brazil

Filarial infections in travelers and immigrants

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