Onchocerciasis (river blindness) is caused by the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus, which is transmitted by Simulium species black flies that breed in fast-flowing rivers and streams. In the human host, adult male and female O. volvulus worms become encapsulated in subcutaneous fibrous “nodules” and fertilized females produce embryonic microfilariae (mf) that migrate to the skin, where they a...

Three genes in the major sperm protein (MSP) gene family from the potato cyst nematode Globodera rostochiensis were cloned and sequenced. In contrast to the absence of introns in Caenorhabditis elegans MSP genes, these genes in G. rostochiensis contained a 57 nucleotide intron, with normal exon-intron boundaries, in the same relative location as the intron in Onchocerca volvulus. The MSP genes ...

The endosymbiotic bacteria, Wolbachia, induce neutrophilic responses to the human helminth pathogen Onchocerca volvulus. The formation of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs), has been implicated in anti-microbial defence, but has not been identified in human helminth infection. Here, we demonstrate NETs formation in human onchocerciasis. Extracellular NETs and neutrophils were visualised arou...

BACKGROUND Onchocerciasis transmitted by Onchocerca volvulus is the second major cause of blindness in the world and it impacts negatively on the socio-economic development of the communities affected. Currently, ivermectin, a microfilaricidal drug is the only drug recommended for treating this disease. There have been speculations, of late, concerning O. volvulus resistance to ivermectin. Owin...

A radioallergosorbent test (RAST) was developed to detect IgE antibodies against adult Onchocerca volvulus antigens coupled to CnBr-activated Sepharose. Twenty-four out of 25 (96%) onchocerciasis sera were reactive. The lower limit of sensitivity was estimated to be at approx. 3 ng/ml IgE antibodies. Tests of sera from patients with non-filarial helminth infections showed much less cross-reacti...

Adenylate kinases (ADK) are ubiquitous enzymes that contribute to the homeostasis of adeninenucleotides in living cells. In this study, the cloning of a cDNA encoding an adenylate kinase from the filariaOnchocerca volvulus has been described. Using PCR technique, a 281 bp cDNA fragment encoding part ofan adenylate kinase was isolated from an O. volvulus cDNA library. Use of this fragment as a p...

Onchocerciasis, or river blindness, is a neglected tropical disease caused by the filarial nematode Onchocerca volvulus that affects more than 37 million people, mainly in third world countries. Currently, the only approved drug available for mass treatment is ivermectin, however, drug resistance is beginning to emerge, thus, new therapeutic targets and agents are desperately needed to treat an...

Studies to determine the prevalence of antibodies to Onchocerca volvulus, prior to and after actions carried out to interrupt transmission, are scarce in Mexico. Here we report the prevalence of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgG4 antibodies in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) against a crude extract of O. volvulus adult worm in serum samples from persons under noninterrupted biannual t...