Low prevalence of epilepsy and onchocerciasis after more than 20 years of ivermectin treatment in the Imo River Basin in Nigeria

Autor: Joseph N. F. Siewe, Chinyere N. Ukaga, Ernest O. Nwazor, Murphy O. Nwoke, Modebelu C. Nwokeji, Blessing C. Onuoha, Simon O. Nwanjor, Joel Okeke, Kate Osahor, Lilian Chimechefulam, Ann I. Ogomaka, Augustine A. Amaechi, Chika I. Ezenwa, Monika N. Ezike, Chidimma Ikpeama, Ogechi Nwachukwu, Austine I. Eriama-Joseph, Berthram E. B. Nwoke, Robert Colebunders
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2019
Předmět:
Zdroj: Infectious Diseases of Poverty, Vol 8, Iss 1, Pp 1-9 (2019)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2049-9957
DOI: 10.1186/s40249-019-0517-9
Popis: Abstract Background High epilepsy prevalence and incidence have been reported in areas with high onchocerciasis transmission. Recent findings suggest that proper community-directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTI) is potentially able to prevent onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy (OAE). We assessed the epilepsy prevalence and onchocerciasis transmission in two Nigerian villages following more than 20 years of CDTI. Methods A cross-sectional door-to-door survey was performed in two villages in the Imo River Basin reported to be mesoendomic for onchocerciasis (Umuoparaodu and Umuezeala). Individuals were screened for epilepsy using a validated 5-item questionnaire. Persons suspected to have epilepsy were examined by a neurologist or a physician with training in epilepsy for confirmation. Onchocerciasis was investigated via skin snip microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests for Ov16 antibodies. Results were compared with previous findings from the Imo river basin. Results A total of 843 individuals from 257 households in the two villages were encountered. We detected four persons with epilepsy (PWE) giving a crude epilepsy prevalence of 0.5%. This finding differs from observations reported 14 years ago which showed an epilepsy prevalence of 2.8% in the neighbouring village of Umulolo (P = 0.0001), and 1.2% from 13 villages in the Imo river basin (P = 0.07). The seroprevalence of Ov16 antibodies was found to be 0%. Only 4.6% of skin snips were positive compared to 26.8% in previous surveys (P
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