Study of onchocerciasis-related visual impairment in North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa

Baranwal, Vinod Kumar; Shyamsundar, Kripanidhi; Kabuyaya, Vamble; Biswas, Jyotirmay; Vannadil, Harikrishnan

doi:10.4103/ijo.ijo_1653_18

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 8 publications

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“…In the Nord Kivu province, an onchocerciasis hyperendemic tropical rain forest area in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), 39 (1.81%) out of 2150 subjects had onchocerciasis-related eye lesions and 4 (0.19%) were blind. Chorioretinitis (0.88%) was the most frequent onchocerciasis lesion followed by keratitis (0.46%), microfilaria in the anterior chamber (0.28%), iridocyclitis (0.28%), secondary glaucoma (0.19%), complicated cataract (0.19%) and optic atrophy (0.19%) [24]. Moreover, during a screening of 2234 Sierra Leonean primary and secondary school students in an onchocerciasis endemic area before CDTI was introduced (in 1983), students with an intraocular pressure higher than 21 mm showed a higher percentage of positive skin snips than those with an intraocular pressure of 21 mm or less [25].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High Prevalence of Glaucoma among Patients in an Onchocerciasis Endemic Area (Mahenge, Tanzania)

et al. 2022

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Onchocerciasis is known to cause skin lesions and blindness, but there is also epidemiological evidence that onchocerciasis is associated with epilepsy, including nodding syndrome. We carried out ocular exams in persons with epilepsy in Mahenge, an onchocerciasis endemic area with a high prevalence of epilepsy in Tanzania. We recruited 278 consecutive persons with epilepsy attending the epilepsy clinic at Mahenge hospital and satellite clinics in rural villages. They underwent a general physical and a detailed ocular examination and were tested for onchocerciasis Ov16 IgG4 antibodies. Glaucoma was defined by a raised intraocular pressure above 21 mmHg with evidence of typical glaucomatous disc changes in one or both eyes. Among the 278 participants, median age 27 (IQR 21–38) years, 55.4% were female; 151/210 (71.9%) (95% CI: 65.3–77.9) were Ov16 positive. The most frequent ophthalmic lesions were glaucoma (33.1%), vitreous opacities (6.5%) and cataracts (2.9%). In multivariate analysis, glaucoma (adjusted IRR = 1.46; 95% CI: 1.24–1.70) and age (adjusted IRR = 1.01; 95% CI: 1.01–1.02) were significantly associated with onchocerciasis. In conclusion, a high prevalence of glaucoma was observed among Ov16 positive persons with epilepsy. Persons with epilepsy with O. volvulus infection should undergo screening for glaucoma to prevent one of the causes of preventable blindness.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High Prevalence of Glaucoma among Patients in an Onchocerciasis Endemic Area (Mahenge, Tanzania)

et al. 2022

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Comparison of Medical Comorbidity between Patients with Normal-Tension Glaucoma and Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma: A Population-Based Study in Taiwan

Luo

Chen

et al. 2021

Healthcare

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The objective was to investigate different comorbidities developed in normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients. This was a case-control study, with 1489 people in the NTG group and 5120 people in the POAG group. Patient data were obtained from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2010 (LHID2010) of Taiwan for the 2008–2013 period. The chi-square test was used to compare categorical variables, such as gender, income and urbanisation level, between NTG and POAG patients, and the two-tailed t test was used to compare continuity between the two groups. We use a multivariate logic regression model to assess the risk of each participant. The results are expressed in terms of odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Patients with NTG had significantly higher proportions of hypotension (adjusted OR, 1.984; 95% CI, 1.128–3.490), sleep disturbances (adjusted OR, 1.323; 95% CI, 1.146–1.528), peptic ulcers (adjusted OR, 1.383; 95% CI, 1.188–1.609) and allergic rhinitis (adjusted OR, 1.484; 95% CI, 1.290–1.707) than those with POAG. Conversely, arterial hypertension (adjusted OR, 0.767; 95% CI, 0.660–0.893), diabetes (adjusted OR, 0.850; 95% CI, 0.728–0.993) and atopic dermatitis (adjusted OR, 0.869; 95% CI, 0.763–0.990) had a lower risk in the NTG group than in the POAG group. We found that comorbidities such a hypotension, sleep disturbances and peptic ulcer and allergic rhinitis are more highly associated to NTG than POAG.

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Zoonotic Implications of Onchocerca Species on Human Health

et al. 2020

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The genus Onchocerca includes several species associated with ungulates as hosts, although some have been identified in canids, felids, and humans. Onchocerca species have a wide geographical distribution, and the disease they produce, onchocerciasis, is generally seen in adult individuals because of its large prepatency period. In recent years, Onchocerca species infecting animals have been found as subcutaneous nodules or invading the ocular tissues of humans; the species involved are O. lupi, O. dewittei japonica, O. jakutensis, O. gutturosa, and O. cervicalis. These findings generally involve immature adult female worms, with no evidence of being fertile. However, a few cases with fertile O. lupi, O. dewittei japonica, and O. jakutensis worms have been identified recently in humans. These are relevant because they indicate that the parasite’s life cycle was completed in the new host—humans. In this work, we discuss the establishment of zoonotic Onchocerca infections in humans, and the possibility of these infections to produce symptoms similar to human onchocerciasis, such as dermatitis, ocular damage, and epilepsy. Zoonotic onchocerciasis is thought to be an emerging human parasitic disease, with the need to take measures such as One Health Strategies, in order to identify and control new cases in humans.

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Study of onchocerciasis-related visual impairment in North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa

Cited by 3 publications

References 8 publications

High Prevalence of Glaucoma among Patients in an Onchocerciasis Endemic Area (Mahenge, Tanzania)

High Prevalence of Glaucoma among Patients in an Onchocerciasis Endemic Area (Mahenge, Tanzania)

Comparison of Medical Comorbidity between Patients with Normal-Tension Glaucoma and Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma: A Population-Based Study in Taiwan

Zoonotic Implications of Onchocerca Species on Human Health

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