| Popis: |
Background: In 1994, high rates of epilepsy prevalence and incidence were found in the Itwara onchocerciasis focus (western Uganda) where transmission was successfully interrupted in 2001. Seventeen years later, we investigated the effect of onchocerciasis elimination on the epilepsy burden in this area. Methods: In December 2018, a follow-up door-to-door epilepsy survey was conducted in the three villages with the highest epilepsy rates in 1994. The prevalence and incidence of epilepsy, as well as the proportion of persons with epilepsy (PWE) meeting pre-defined criteria for onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy (OAE) were determined in three villages (Kabende Centre, Masongora South, and Rwesenene). Results of 2018 were compared with those of 1994. Findings: Overall crude prevalence of epilepsy in the study villages decreased from 3·0% (35/1,169) in 1994 to 1·2% (27/2,325) in 2018 (p=0·0002), while incidence dropped from 418 to 73 new cases per 100,000 person-years (p |
