background: this study was carried out in opi-agu a tropical semi-urban autonomous community comprising of three villages in enugu state, nigeria, between the months of april and june 2010. it was designed to determine the prevalence of onchocerca volvulus infection and assess the perception of the disease among the inhabitants of this community. methods: a total number of 305 individuals compr...

Onchocerciasis results from infestation by the nematode Onchocerca volvulus and is characterized by troublesome itching, skin lesions, and eye manifestations. Although partially controlled by international mass prevention programs, onchocerciasis remains a major health hazard and is endemic in Africa, Arabia, and the Americas. Onchocerciasis is spread by bites from infested black flies, which t...

Diseases don't respect borders, so efforts to control and eliminate diseases must also be flexible and adaptable enough to effectively reach the populations that live in the areas around national frontiers. Onchocerciasis, commonly known as river blindness is a tropical disease that has historically affected millions of people in 35 countries in Africa and Latin America. In Africa, programs and...

Onchocerciasis, or River Blindness as it is commonly called, has been found to be endemic in the Imo River basin of Imo and Abia States, all in the Southeastern part of Nigeria [1,2]. Auchinumo is a community of 16 villages situated along the Imo River basin in the Ihitte-Uboma Local Government Area of Imo State. The people live in somewhat isolated settlements and are predominantly farmers. Am...

Onchocerciasis a filarial parasitic nematode, also known as river blindness and Robles disease, is a neglected tropical disease infecting more than 18 million people mainly in sub-Saharan of Africa, the Middle East, South and Central America and many other countries. Disease infectivity initiates from Onchocerca volvulus (Filarioidea: Onchocercidae) transmitted by the blackfly, Simulium sp. whi...

he accomplishments of this Programme inspire all of us in public health to dream big dreams. It shows we can reach 'impossible' goals and lighten the burden of millions of the world's poorest people .... " These were the concluding words by former World Health Organization Director-General Gro Harlem Brundtland at the closure ceremony of the Onchocerciasis Control Programme in West Africa (OCP)...

Onchocerciasis is a major cause of blindness. Although the World Health Organization has been successful in reducing onchocerciasis as a public health problem in parts of West Africa, there remain an estimated 17 million people infected with Onchocerca volvulus, the parasite that causes this disease. Ocular pathology can be manifested in any part of the eye, although disease manifestations are ...