title: Epidemiological studies of onchocerciasis in southern Benin.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gallin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Kruppa
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Gbaguidi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Massougbodji
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Sadeler
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Brattig
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Erttmann
mesh_terms: 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