title: Prevalence of River Epilepsy in the Orientale Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
abstract: An increased prevalence of epilepsy has been reported in many onchocerciasis endemic areas.
  
  
  
  To determine the prevalence and distribution of epilepsy in an onchocerciasis endemic region in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
  
  
  
  An epilepsy prevalence study was carried out in 2014, in two localities of the Bas-Uélé district, an onchocerciasis endemic region in the Orientale Province of the DRC. Risk factors for epilepsy were identified using a random effects logistic regression model and the distribution of epilepsy cases was investigated using the Moran's I statistic of spatial auto-correlation.
  
  
  
  Among the 12,776 individuals of Dingila, 373 (2.9%) individuals with epilepsy were identified. In a house-to-house survey in Titule, 68 (2.3%) of the 2,908 people who participated in the survey were found to present episodes of epilepsy. Epilepsy showed a marked spatial pattern with clustering of cases occurring within and between adjacent households. Individual risk of epilepsy was found to be associated with living close to the nearest fast flowing river where blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae)-the vector of Onchocerca volvulus-oviposit and breed.
  
  
  
  The prevalence of epilepsy in villages in the Bas-Uélé district in the DRC was higher than in non-onchocerciasis endemic regions in Africa. Living close to a blackflies infested river was found to be a risk factor for epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Global Health Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Colebunders
authors.affiliation: National Onchocerciasis Control Program, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
authors.forename: Floribert
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tepage
authors.affiliation: Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ente
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rood
authors.affiliation: Provincial Health Division Ituri, Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mandro
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Science, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Emmanuel Nji
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Abatih
authors.affiliation: Medical Doctor, Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
authors.forename: Gisele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Musinya
authors.affiliation: Provincial Ministry of Public Health, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
authors.forename: Germain
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mambandu
authors.affiliation: Provincial Ministry of Public Health, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kabeya
authors.affiliation: Biodiversity Monitoring Centre (CSB), Faculty of Sciences, University of Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Komba
authors.affiliation: Institute of Integrative Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Bethany
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Levick
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Mokili
authors.affiliation: Global Health Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.|Institute of Integrative Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.|Evolutionary Biology group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laudisoit
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo / Q000453:epidemiology; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005369:Filaricides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007559:Ivermectin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058069:Neglected Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D017181:Onchocerca volvulus; D009855:Onchocerciasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D045483:Rivers; D012843:Simuliidae; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005369:Filaricides; D007559:Ivermectin