Epidemiological studies of onchocerciasis in southern Benin.
We studied the prevalence of human onchocerciasis in four geographically different regions of the southern part of Benin in West Africa. In a total of thirteen villages 1596 individuals were examined for clinical and parasitological signs of onchocerciasis. Prevalence of microfilariae of Onchocerca volvulus in skin snips was 29% in region I (lower Oueme river), 64% in region II (Mono river), 56% in region III (upper Oueme river) and 70% in region IV (Okpara river). Based on endemicity criteria of the WHO regions II and IV were found to be hyperendemic, region III mesoendemic and region I hypoendemic for onchocerciasis. The community microfilarial load ranged from 4 mf/mg skin in the hypoendemic region to 10.5 mf/mg skin in the hyperendemic regions. The prevalence of nodules was 21% in region I, 30% in region II, 17% in region III and 41% in region IV. The overall prevalence of chronic onchocercal dermatitis was 12%. Of 689 individuals infected with O. volvulus 388 were treated with a single dose of ivermectin.
Gallin
M
M
Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.
Adams
A
A
Kruppa
T F
TF
Gbaguidi
E A
EA
Massougbodji
A
A
Sadeler
B C
BC
Brattig
N
N
Erttmann
K D
KD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001541:Benin / Q000453:epidemiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008842:Microfilariae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008875:Middle Aged; D017181:Onchocerca volvulus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D009855:Onchocerciasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D012867:Skin / Q000469:parasitology