Knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward onchocerciasis among local population in Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea

Introduction: Since 1998, the African program for onchocerciasis control has been working with ultimate goal of reducing the public health impact associated with onchocerciasis in Equatorial Guinea. Although dedicated community engagement is crucial for the success of this program, there is no information on the levels of community's knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) toward onchocerciasis in this country. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Bioko Island from mid-January to mid-February 2014. Sampling was carried out by multistage cluster survey. Sociodemographic characteristics, KAP, and stigma-related questions were collected through a pretested questionnaire. A bivariate analysis was performed and results were adjusted by sex and age using logistic regression. Results: A total of 140 housekeepers or head of households agreed to participate. Around 54% of the interviewees had heard about the disease, of which more than one-third identified the disease as filariasis (28/68, 41.2%). Overall, 19.3% respondents highlighted the bite of a blackfly as the main mode of transmission. From those who had a familiar affected by onchocerciasis in the past, 21 out of 32 (65.6%) pointed ivermectin as the preferred treatment and 43.8% pointed out the health center as the first choice place to seek for treatment. About 67.1% of individuals believed that having onchocerciasis would not cause any contact avoidance with other members in the community. Conclusions: People's practices toward onchocerciasis tend to be better than disease knowledge in Bioko Island. Increasing awareness through community-based campaigns and educational activities is encouraged in the current onchocerciasis preelimination stage at Bioko Island

Onchocerciasis Control in South Sudan

This paper gives an overview of the Community Directed Treatment with Ivermectin (CTDI) projects in 2009. Data from the 2010 report will be published when it is available. Box 1 at the end of this article gives treatment guidelines

Susceptibility of Simulium damnosum complex larvae to temephos in the Tukuyu onchocerciasis focus; southwest Tanzania

Tukuyu onchocerciasis focus was earmarked for vector control using insecticide against larval stages.Susceptibility tests of mature larvae of Simulium damnosum s.l. vectors to temephos insecticide were carried out before and after two years of insecticide treatment of rivers within Tukuyu onchocerciasis focus, south-western Tanzania. The tests were done in 1999/2000 and 2004 using WHO standard methods. Mature larvae were exposed to 9 concentrations of temephos active ingredient, from the weakest 0.00975mg/litre to the strongest of 2.5mg/l. Each test concentration and control was run in duplicates of 25 larvae each, set for three hours in a cool temperature. After incubation, test solution was discarded and larval condition checked. Numbers of larvae in each category were recorded and used to determine mortality rate for each concentration as well as for the LC50 and LC95. A total of 1,666 larvae were tested, 942 during the pre- and 724 post-treatment. Results showed that both pre and post-treatment samples were susceptible, attaining 100% mortality at the diagnostic dose of 1.25mg/l, and LC50 between 0.129-0.34mg/l pre - and 0.144-0.211 mg/l (95% CI, P<0.05) post- treatment. These values fall within the standard diagnostic dose of ≤0.4mg/l for susceptible S. damnosum s.l populations. It was concluded that the endemic S. damnosum population was susceptible to temephos before and after two years of intermittent field application. Temephos was thus recommended for continued use in onchocerciasis vector control in the Tukuyu focus, to complement Community Directed Treatment with Ivermectin, but close monitoring of vector susceptibility should be done

Lutte antivectorielle dans le programme de lutte contre l'onchocercose au Nord du Togo à la suite du stage effectué à l'OMS/Oncho Kara du 1er janvier 1999 au 31 Mai 1999

L'onchocercose est une maladie parasitaire débilitante transmise par la piqûre de simulies infectées qui vivent et se reproduisent à proximité des rivières dans les régions tropicales. Une exposition prolongée aux piqûres de ces simulies peut entrainer des déficiences visuelles graves pouvant aller jusqu'à la cécité d'où le nom familier de la maladie, cécité des rivières. Dans la région de savane de I'Afrique de l'Ouest, l'onchocercose pose depuis de nombreuses années un grave problème de santé publique et constitue un obstacle au développement économique, forçant les communautés entières à abandonner leurs villages situés dans des zones fertiles au voisinage des cours d'eau pour échapper aux effets dévastateurs de l'infection. Le Programme de Lutte contre l'Onchocercose a été créé en 1974 pour combattre la maladie, d'abord par l'application généralisée de larvicides par épandage sur les gîtes larvaires de la simulie et, plus récemment, par le traitement de la communauté à l'ivermectine. Le programme couvre onze pays et, après vingt-cinq ans d'existence, a fait la preuve de son efficacité, étant parvenu non seulement à ramener le fardeau de la morbidité à un niveau insignifiant mais aussi à amener diverses organisations et des particuliers à travailler ensemble dans le cadre d'un effort concerté et soutenu afin d'atteindre l'objectif qu'il s'était fixé

Social anthropological aspects of onchocercal skin disease in Nebbi District; Uganda

"In providing health care; the busy medical practitioner often lacks the ""I-You"" quality of the personal experience of illness. This paper reports the perceptions; beliefs and practices of persons living in a hyperendemic focus of onchocerciasis in nebbi District; north-western Uganda. The study involved the use of focus group discussion and semi-structured interviewes designed to explore the experiences; meanings; and illness-related coping strategies employed by the community. The results indicated that oncherciasis believed that the cause of the disease is the small black fly (Kamacur); dirty water or rivers. However; non-affected individuals believed that the condition is caused by poor personal and environmental hydiene; and personal contact with persons affected by onchocerciasis. Affected people recommended public health education to control the diases while non-affected people; recommended the avoidance of personal contact with affected people; ensuring personal hygiene; and the improvement of environmental sanitation and the nutritional status of community. The belief systems of the community are probably responsible for the discriminatory practices of the people against those affected by the condition. The results indicate that onchocerciasis is a serious public health problem which needs to be controlled."

Controlling river blindness with ivermectin

This paper deals with onchocerciasis which is in large areas of Africa. And the number of people at risk of contracting river blindness in endemic areas rises to 78 million in Africa. Therefore the dicovery of ivermectim is a new weapon in the war against river blindness

The predicted and observed decline in onchocerciasis infection during 14 years of successful control of Simulium spp. in West Africa

In 55 villages from the well-protected central area of the Onchocerciasis Control Programme in West Africa (OCP), skin snip surveys have been carried out at regular intervals since the programme started, and the latest round of surveys was undertaken after 12-14 years of successful vector control. The observed trends in the prevalence and intensity of onchocerciasis infection in cohorts of adults were compared with the trends predicted using a host-parasite model. After 12-14 years of control the community microfilarial load (CMFL) was close to zero in all villages. During the last few years of control, the prevalence of infection declined at an accelerated rate, and this was predicted by the model. There was generally good agreement between observed and predicted trends. The predictions were based on an estimated average duration of infection of 10.4 years, which corresponds to a mean reproductive lifespan for Onchocerca volvulus of 9-9.5 years, and an upper limit of 15 years for 95% of the infections. Differences between the observed and predicted data included the trend in CMFL between the first and second surveys, which in 18 villages did not show the predicted decline. Furthermore, the observed final decline in prevalence was faster than predicted in the north-eastern part of the central OCP area. After 14 years of vector control, the level of onchocerciasis has fallen to such a low level that consideration is being given to ending larviciding

La lutte contre l'onchocercose en Afrique de l'Ouest: : un bilan

Nous présentons le vaste programme de lutte contre I'onchocercose en Afrique de l'Ouest qui intéresse onze Etats et couvre plus d'un million de kilomètres carrés' Nous réalisons une importante mise au point sur les aspects épidémiologiques' cliniques et thérapeutiques de I 'onchocercose mais aussi sur I 'impact socioéconomique de cette filariose dans les grandes zones bioclimatiques de savane et de forêt de I 'Afrique tropicale' Nous analysons les problèmes très particuliers que pose la lutte antivectorielle contre la simulie. Nous évoquons les nouvelles perspectives de lutte apportées par I'apparition de l' ivermectine. Ce travail est également l'occasion d'une vaste revue bibliographique actualisée'