The impact of Merowe Dam on Simulium hamedense vector of onchocerciasis in Abu Hamed focus - Northern Sudan

Zarroug, Isam M. A.; Elaagip, Arwa; Abuelmaali, Sara A.; Mohamed, Hanan A.; ElMubarak, Wigdan A; Hashim, Kamal; Deran, Tong Chor M.; Aziz, Nabil; Higazi, Tarig B.

doi:10.1186/1756-3305-7-168

Cited by 13 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 13 publications

(25 reference statements)

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“…Overall, Merowe Dam appears to have had a positive impact on onchocerciasis and its black fly vectors in Abu Hamed focus. 15 This study shows the importance of monitoring the impact of hydropower dams and other environment changes on onchocerciasis elimination activities. It also shows that elimination efforts must face and tackle the unique characteristics of each onchocerciasis transmission zone.…”

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confidence: 92%

“…Figure 1A). [13][14][15] Thus, a new breeding site near Al Sarsaf village west of the flooded area was added to the PTS assessment protocol. In addition, Hamdab Island, downstream of Merowe dam, was also monitored for the possible introduction of new black fly breeding sites due to favorable conditions created by the dam, and two displaced communities were screened in their new locations for any exposure to the infection.…”

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confidence: 99%

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The First Confirmed Elimination of an Onchocerciasis Focus in Africa: Abu Hamed, Sudan

Zarroug

Hashim

ElMubark³

et al. 2016

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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Abstract. Mass treatment with ivermectin for onchocerciasis was stopped in 2012 in Abu Hamed, an isolated focus on the River Nile in northern Sudan. A 3-year posttreatment surveillance (PTS) ensued, at the end of which an evaluation was conducted in 2015 following the current World Health Organization guidelines for verification of onchocerciasis elimination. Vector black flies were collected from sentinel breeding sites and finger-prick bloodspots were collected from children ≤ 10 years of age resident in 35 communities within the focus. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening of 19,191 flies from four sites for the O-150 parasite-specific marker found no flies carrying Onchocerca volvulus larvae (0%, 95% upper confidence limit [UCL] = 0.16), and serological testing of 5,266 children identified only one Ov16 seropositive child (0.019%, 95% UCL = 0.074); whose skin snips were negative when tested by O-150 PCR assay. These results indicate that for the first time in Africa, onchocerciasis elimination has been verified after a successful PTS in Abu Hamed.Onchocerciasis or river blindness is a major tropical disease currently endemic in Venezuela, Brazil, Yemen, and importantly in 31 African countries where 99% of the estimated 123 million individuals at risk reside.

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The First Confirmed Elimination of an Onchocerciasis Focus in Africa: Abu Hamed, Sudan

Zarroug

Hashim

ElMubark³

et al. 2016

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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“…In 2006, the Government of Sudan launched an Onchocerciasis elimination policy and switched from annual to semi-annual (six months) CDTI (15). Comprehensive surveys showed low level of transmission in 2007 (24), and complete interruption of the disease transmission in 2011 that was officially declared by the Sudan government in 2012 (15,25). Following WHO guidelines and after a 3-year post-treatment surveillance, the elimination of Abu Hamed focus was officially declared in 2015 (26).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Socioeconomic impacts of elimination of Onchocerciasis in Abu-Hamed focus, northern Sudan: lessons after elimination

Ahmed

Elbashir

Adil

et al. 2019

Preprint

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20 Introduction: Onchocerciasis is one of the most devastating Neglected Tropical Diseases 21 (NTDs) and it is mostly prevalent in Africa. The disease has important heavy social and 22 economic burdens on the infected populations including low productivity, unemployment, 23 social isolation, and stigma.24 Methodology/Principal Findings: The socio-economic impacts of the Onchocerciasis 25 elimination in Abu-Hamed, River Nile State, Sudan; were investigated using a well-26 established questionnaire, 512 participants in ten affected communities were interviewed. Our 27 findings revealed that these communities are recovering from the social and economic burden 28 of the diseases, with 90% of the research participants reported general satisfaction about the 29 elimination of the disease in their community, and about 48.3% of them attended secondary 30 school or university. Only 0.6% reported unemployment, and 25.3% and 24.7% of the 31 participants were workers and farmers respectively. Except about the vector biting and 32 nuisance, the majority of the respondents (90%) had no complain after the elimination of the 33 disease in the area. Also, 90.5% of the participants reported either stable or increase in their 34 work performance during the last twelve months. About 93.8% of the respondents were 35 engaged in normal daily activities and involved in happy events like marriage and giving birth 36 during the last twelve months.37 Conclusions/Significance: Overall, we conclude that the elimination of Onchocerciasis in 38 Abu-Hamed has several positive impacts on the economy and social life of Abu-Hamed local 39 communities, but this could be maximized by controlling the vector, which is still having a 40 negative impact on the populations. Establishing local developmental projects will help these 41 communities greatly to recover and become more productive.

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“…In close to 90% of the areas evaluated, prevalence of infection had decreased to or even below the level predicted by the onchocerciasis transmission model ONCHOSIM (Plaisier et al., 1990, Remme et al., 1990) when the pre-CDTI endemicity, the percentage of the population which participated in CDTI and the number of years of CDTI were taken into account (Plaisier et al., 1990, African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC), 2009, African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC), 2010a, African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC), 2011, Tekle et al., 2012, African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC), 2012a, African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC), 2013, African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC), 2014, Stolk et al., 2015, African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC), 2015a, African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC), 2015b. In the isolated meso-endemic focus Abu Hamed in the North of Sudan, annual CDTI initiated in 1998 and biannual CDTI from 2006 onward has interrupted transmission of the parasite (Higazi et al., 2013, Zarroug et al., 2014). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Research for new drugs for elimination of onchocerciasis in Africa

Kuesel

2016

International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistan

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Onchocerciasis is a parasitic, vector borne disease caused by the filarial nematode Onchocerca volvulus. More than 99% of the population at risk of infection live in Africa. Onchocerciasis control was initiated in West Africa in 1974 with vector control, later complemented by ivermectin mass drug administration and in the other African endemic countries in 1995 with annual community directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTI.) This has significantly reduced infection prevalence. Together with proof-of-concept for onchocerciasis elimination with annual CDTI from foci in Senegal and Mali, this has resulted in targeting onchocerciasis elimination in selected African countries by 2020 and in 80% of African countries by 2025. The challenges for meeting these targets include the number of endemic countries where conflict has delayed or interrupted control programmes, cross-border foci, potential emergence of parasite strains with low susceptibility to ivermectin and co-endemicity of loiasis, another parasitic vector borne disease, which slows down or prohibits CDTI implementation. Some of these challenges could be addressed with new drugs or drug combinations with a higher effect on Onchocerca volvulus than ivermectin. This paper reviews the path from discovery of new compounds to their qualification for large scale use and the support regulatory authorities provide for development of drugs for neglected tropical diseases. The status of research for new drugs or treatment regimens for onchocerciasis along the path to regulatory approval and qualification for large scale use is reviewed. This research includes new regimens and combinations of ivermectin and albendazole, antibiotics targeting the O. volvulus endosymbiont Wolbachia, flubendazole, moxidectin and emodepside and discovery of new compounds.

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The impact of Merowe Dam on Simulium hamedense vector of onchocerciasis in Abu Hamed focus - Northern Sudan

Cited by 13 publications

References 13 publications

The First Confirmed Elimination of an Onchocerciasis Focus in Africa: Abu Hamed, Sudan

The First Confirmed Elimination of an Onchocerciasis Focus in Africa: Abu Hamed, Sudan

Socioeconomic impacts of elimination of Onchocerciasis in Abu-Hamed focus, northern Sudan: lessons after elimination

Research for new drugs for elimination of onchocerciasis in Africa

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