Eye screening in 2234 Sierra Leonean school students and detection of onchocerciasis

Screening of 2234 primary and secondary school students in a rain-forest area with endemic onchocerciasis showed that the percentage of students with positive skin snips increased with school age: from 0.7% in class 1 to 23% in form 5. Visual acuity of 6/12 or more in both eyes was found in 98% of the students. Students with an intraocular pressure higher than 21 mm showed a higher percentage of positive skinsnips than those with an intraocular pressure of 21 mm or less. The results of health education and treatment with diethylcarbamazine were better than those obtained in outpatients of the eye hospital in the same town. The possibilities of mass school screening in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone are discussed.