Onchocerciasis among Ethiopian immigrants in Israel.
BACKGROUND
Onchocerciasis results from infestation by the nematode Onchocerca volvulus, and is characterized clinically by troublesome itching, skin lesions and eye manifestations. Since 1992, approximately 9,000 immigrants have arrived in Israel from the Kuwara province of northwest Ethiopia where the prevalence of onchocerciasis is particularly high.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether onchocerciasis is the cause of cutaneous and ocular symptoms among recent immigrants from the Kuwara province in Ethiopia.


METHODS
We examined 1,200 recent immigrants from the Kuwara province residing at the Mevasseret Zion immigration center outside Jerusalem. Among them, patients with cutaneous signs suggestive of onchocerciasis underwent a skin-snip biopsy and a thorough eye examination.


RESULTS
In the detailed skin examination performed in 83 patients, the most common skin finding was chronic papular onchodermatitis, found in more than 46 patients (55%); depigmentation and atrophy was found in 13 (15%) and 12 (14%), respectively. In 40 patients (48%), living microfilaria were detected in their skin snips. Of the 65 patients who underwent a through eye examination, 45 patients (66%) had ocular complaints. Corneal abnormalities were found in 55 of the 130 eyes (42%), active anterior segment intraocular inflammation and live microfilariae were found in 4 eyes (3%) and lens changes in 16 eyes (1%). Eleven eyes (9%) showed retinal or choroidal changes.


CONCLUSIONS
Skin and eye manifestations associated with onchocerciasis are prevalent among symptomatic Ethiopians who immigrated to Israel from the Kuwara province.
Enk
Claes D
CD
Department of Dermatology, Hadassah University Hospital and Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel. enk@hadassah.org.il
Anteby
Irene
I
Abramson
Nitza
N
Amer
Radgonde
R
Amit
Yair
Y
Bergshtein-Kronhaus
Tamar
T
Cohen
Evelyne
E
Greenberg
Zalman
Z
Jonas
Flory
F
Maayan
Shlomo
S
Marva
Esther
E
Strauss
Uri
U
BenEzra
David
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000208:ethnology; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008842:Microfilariae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008875:Middle Aged; D017181:Onchocerca volvulus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009855:Onchocerciasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology