Eye disease in an onchocerciasis-endemic area of the forest-savanna mosaic region of Nigeria.
In a forest-saving mosaic zone of south-eastern Nigeria endemic for onchocerciasis, we identified eye disorders in 65.5% of a randomly selected population sample. Onchocerciasis-related eye disease was present in 13.7% of the study sample and constituted 21% of the total number of eye disorders. A total of 78 (33.2%) of 235 subjects with visual impairment had onchocerciasis-related eye lesions, and of 35 who were blind in both eyes, onchocerciasis-induced eye disease was the cause in 28 (80%). The prevalence of bilateral blindness from all causes in the study area was 4.1%, while that from onchocerciasis-related causes was 3.3%. The commonest onchocerciasis-induced lesions that were responsible for visual impairment and blindness were choroidoretinitis and optic nerve disease. Sclerosing keratitis, an important causative lesion in onchocerciasis-endemic savanna regions, was encountered only one. Eye disease is therefore an important feature of onchocerciasis in the forest-savanna mosaic areas of Nigeria and should be borne in mind when planning and executing control programmes.
Umeh
R E
RE
Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu, Nigeria.
Chijioke
C P
CP
Okonkwo
P O
PO
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001766:Blindness / Q000469:parasitology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002825:Chorioretinitis / Q000469:parasitology; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D009854:Onchocerca / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015827:Onchocerciasis, Ocular / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012867:Skin / Q000469:parasitology; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000469:parasitology