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[Onchocerciasis]

C D Enk1, K Gardlo, T Ruzicka

  • 1The Hadassah-Germany Skin Center, Department of Dermatology, The Hebrew University Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel. enk@hadassah.org.il

Der Hautarzt; Zeitschrift Fur Dermatologie, Venerologie, Und Verwandte Gebiete
|May 22, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Onchocerciasis, a parasitic worm infestation, causes severe itching and skin/eye problems. Ivermectin is the primary treatment for this disease spread by blackflies in tropical regions.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Parasitology
  • Tropical Medicine
  • Public Health

Context:

  • Onchocerciasis, caused by Onchocerca volvulus, is a significant health issue in Africa, Arabia, and the Americas.
  • Spread by blackfly bites, it leads to debilitating skin lesions, intense itching, and potentially blindness.
  • Current mass treatment programs offer partial control but do not eliminate the disease.

Purpose:

  • To provide a comprehensive overview of onchocerciasis, including its causative agent, transmission, clinical manifestations, and diagnostic methods.
  • To highlight the current treatment strategies and the role of ivermectin in managing the disease.

Summary:

  • Onchocerciasis is a parasitic nematode infection characterized by pruritus, dermatitis, hypopigmentation, and ocular disease, including blindness.
  • Diagnosis involves skin snips to visualize larvae or slit-lamp examination for microfilariae in the anterior chamber.
  • Ivermectin is the drug of choice, demonstrating high efficacy against microfilariae for both cutaneous and ocular onchocerciasis.

Impact:

  • Improved understanding of onchocerciasis pathogenesis and clinical presentation.
  • Reinforces the importance of ivermectin in onchocerciasis control programs.
  • Highlights the ongoing public health challenge posed by onchocerciasis in endemic areas.

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