Onchocerciasis in Yemen: Time to take action against a neglected tropical parasitic disease
| Autor: | Mohammed A. K. Mahdy, Rashad Abdul-Ghani, John C. Beier |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Předmět: |
Veterinary medicine
Yemen Veterinary (miscellaneous) 030231 tropical medicine Onchocerciasis Microfilaria 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine Ivermectin Environmental health Animals Humans Medicine Simuliidae 030212 general & internal medicine Simulium Microfilariae biology business.industry Neglected Diseases biology.organism_classification medicine.disease Onchocerca volvulus Infectious Diseases Insect Science Parasitic disease Vector (epidemiology) Sowda Parasitology business medicine.drug |
| Zdroj: | Acta Tropica. 162:133-141 |
| ISSN: | 0001-706X |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.actatropica.2016.06.017 |
| Popis: | Onchocerciasis is a neglected parasitic disease affecting the poorest underserved people in Yemen. A national control programme with goals to eliminate onchocerciasis has yet to be launched due to the current upheaval and social unrest in the country. The disease, locally termed as sowda, is unique in its clinicopathologic pattern, being of the localized, non-blinding, hyperreactive onchocercal skin disease. Although early reports identified endemic foci along seasonal watercourses, there is a need to redefine its epidemiologic patterns as well as health and socioeconomic impacts. Laboratory diagnosis of sowda among Yemeni patients is difficult due to the low load of microfilariae in skin snips and the presence of asymptomatic itching-free microfilaria carriers. Adoption of ivermectin use at three-month intervals as a control strategy has not been evaluated because the drug is mostly used in clinics and distributed to only a few affected communities. This paper addresses key aspects of onchocerciasis in Yemen and highlights the need for screening at-risk populations using highly sensitive techniques and mapping the distributions of the parasite in human and vector populations of blackflies. The new research should be integrated with the launch of a national onchocerciasis control programme to achieve onchocerciasis elimination. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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