title: Impact of Eighteen-Year Varied Compliance to Onchocerciasis Treatment with Ivermectin in Sentinel Savannah Agrarian Communities in Kaduna State of Nigeria.
abstract: Baseline and impact assessment data were generated in 1994 (n = 532) and 2011 (n = 593) from 6 sentinel villages with generalized onchocerciasis. Only volunteers and a cohort (n = 445, 75%) were screened at both visits. Each village had received 11 (64.7%) annual treatments and 92.6%, range 88.7-100%, treatment compliance. Overall mean number of treatment was 2.9 ± 1.6 with a range 2.0 ± 1.2-3.3 ± 0.6. Significant decreases in skin microfilaria prevalence from 201 (38%) to 0 (0%), palpable nodule from 77 (15%) to 4 (0.7%), dermal changes from 51 (9.6%) to 2 (0.04%), optic nerve disease from 24 (4.5%) to 4 (2.0%), and onchocercal inducible ocular lesions from 31 (5.8%) to 12 (2.0%) were recorded, P < 0.05, (t-test of unpaired data). Cases of glaucoma, 8 (1.4%), and blindness, 6 (1.05%), remained unchanged. Visual acuity ≥6/24 in one or both eyes, 198 (33.45%); cataract, 169 (28.5%); pterygium 157 (26.5%); and acute senilis, 165 (27.9%), were significantly increased and positively correlated with increase in age (R (2) = 0.898 - 0.949). Dissected parous Simulium damnosum caught (n = 222) were without infective third stage larva. Active onchocerciasis transmission seems halted despite varied compliance to long-term ivermectin treatment. We recommend continued surveillance and targeted treatment of controlled and hypoendemic areas.
authors.affiliation: Nigeria Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research (NITR), P. M. B. 2077, Kaduna 800001, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Hudu O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Osue
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Helen I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Inabo
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Sabo E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Yakubu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, ABU, Zaria, Kaduna State 810000, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Patrick A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Audu
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State 920001, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Musa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galadima
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Idun, Abuja 900102, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Lillian E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Odama
authors.affiliation: Nigeria Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research (NITR), P. M. B. 2077, Kaduna 800001, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Danjuma
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Musa
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Saleh A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ado
authors.affiliation: Nigeria Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research (NITR), P. M. B. 2077, Kaduna 800001, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mamman