title: Prevalence of onchocerciasis in the Fundong Health District, Cameroon after 6 years of continuous community-directed treatment with ivermectin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Onchocerciasis is one of the leading infectious causes of blindness affecting over 37 million people of which 99% are in Africa. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of onchocerciasis in the Fundong Health District, a locality where community-directed treatment with ivermectin has been carried out for 6 consecutive years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaires covering participants' identity, Rapid Epidemiological Assessment (REA) for onchocerciasis and parasitological parameters were distributed to participants. Skin snip (SS) was collected for laboratory investigation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 404 participants belonging to 200 households were randomly selected from the Fundong Health District, of which 134 (33.2%) were males and 270(66.8%) were females, 14 (3.5%) had microfilaredermia and 15(3.7%) had nodules. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of microfilaredermia with respect to age of participants (X(2)=2.749, P=0.601). There was however a statistically significant difference in the prevalence of nodule and impaired vision/eye itching (IVIE) with respect to age (X(2)=24.67, P<0.001). The greatest rate of infection was found among farmers (2.5%) followed by students (0.7%) and businessmen (0.25%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that the study area is now hypo-endemic for onchocerciasis, following 6 years of continuous treatment with ivermectin. Careful monitoring of onchocerciasis should however be continued to avoid that the area returns to its initial hyper endemicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Henri Lucien Fouamno
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Kamga
authors.forename: Dickson Nsagha
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Shey
authors.forename: Jules Clement Nguedia
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Assob
authors.forename: Anna Longdoh
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Njunda
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nde Fon
authors.forename: Peter Kindong
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Njem
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002163:Cameroon / Q000453:epidemiology; D003153:Community Health Services; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007559:Ivermectin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009855:Onchocerciasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015995:Prevalence; D000091402:Prohibitins; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000977:Antiparasitic Agents; C000717331:PHB2 protein, human; D000091402:Prohibitins; D007559:Ivermectin