Improving onchocerciasis elimination surveillance: trials of odour baited Esperanza Window Traps to collect black fly vectors and real-time qPCR detection of Onchocerca volvulus in black fly pools.

Background: Entomological data for onchocerciasis surveillance relies on sampling black flies through human landing collectors in the field and laboratory testing of the flies for infection using pooled screening O-150 PCR-ELISA assay. Both techniques require improvements. This study aimed to optimize the Esperanza Window Trap (EWT) for black fly collection.

The interruption of transmission of onchocerciasis in Kaduna, Kebbi and Zamfara states, Nigeria: another milestone achievement.

Background: More than 40 million people live in onchocerciasis-endemic areas in Nigeria. For at least 19 y, mass drug administration (MDA) with ivermectin was implemented with at least 65% total population coverage in Kaduna, Kebbi and Zamfara states. Impact surveys done using skin biopsies yielded no infections.

Assessing Hypoendemic Onchocerciasis in Endemic Areas of Southeast Nigeria.

Nigeria changed its goal for onchocerciasis from control to transmission elimination. Under the control program, ivermectin mass drug administration (MDA) focused only on hyper/meso-endemic local government areas (LGAs) identified by Rapid Epidemiological Mapping of Onchocerciasis as having ≥ 20% nodule rates. Because transmission is likely in some LGAs where nodule rates are < 20%, the new elimination paradigm requires MDA expansion.

In Southern Nigeria Blood Microfilaria Density is Very Low Even in Areas with High Prevalence of Loiasis: Results of a Survey Using the New LoaScope Technology.

Ivermectin treatment can cause central nervous system adverse events (CNS-AEs) in persons with very high-density microfilaremia (≥ 30,000 mf/mL blood). Hypoendemic onchocerciasis areas where is endemic have been excluded from ivermectin mass drug administration programs (MDA) because of the concern for CNS AEs. The rapid assessment procedure for (RAPLOA) is a questionnaire survey to assess history of eye worm.

The role of national committees in eliminating onchocerciasis.

National onchocerciasis elimination committees (NOECs) serve to help ministries of health complete the pathway to successful verification of elimination of onchocerciasis (river blindness), as outlined in the 2016 World Health Organization guidelines. These guidelines, however, only take effect when the country believes it has reached a point that elimination can be demonstrated, and do not address the preceding milestones. Therefore, NOECs can be of great help with guiding and tailoring earlier planning, programming and assessments to empower national programs to aggressively move toward their countries' elimination goals.

The geographic distribution of onchocerciasis in the 20 participating countries of the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control: (1) priority areas for ivermectin treatment.

Background: The African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) was created to control onchocerciasis as a public health problem in 20 African countries. Its main strategy is community directed treatment with ivermectin. In order to identify all high risk areas where ivermectin treatment was needed, APOC used Rapid Epidemiological Mapping of Onchocerciasis (REMO).

Community-wide distribution of long-lasting insecticidal nets can halt transmission of lymphatic filariasis in southeastern Nigeria.

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) in rural southeastern Nigeria is transmitted mainly by Anopheles spp. mosquitoes. Potential coinfection with Loa loa in this area has prevented use of ivermectin in the mass drug administration (MDA) strategy for LF elimination because of potential severe adverse L.

Epidemiology of tree-hole breeding mosquitoes in the tropical rainforest of Imo State, south-east Nigeria.

The study of tree-hole breeding mosquitoes was carried out in the tropical rainforest of Imo State Nigeria (two rural areas and two forest reserves in some parts of Orlu Senatorial Zone) between May-October 2002. Using standard entomological procedures, two macrohabitats (natural tree-holes and bamboo traps) and two microhabitats (leaf axils of cocoyams/pineapples and leaf axils of plantain/banana) were sampled for various mosquito species. Mosquitoes were recovered from all the various biotypes sampled.

Clinical and parasitological aspects of onchocercal skin diseases in Nigeria.

An assessment of onchocercal skin disease (OSD) conducted in 38 rural communities in the Imo River Basin, Nigeria, between March 1999 and September 2000, showed that depigmentation (DPM) was the most prevalent lesion in persons with skin microfilariae (mf) (26.3%), followed by chronic papular onchodermatitis (CPOD) (18.1%) and acute papular onchodermatitis (APOD) (15.

Prevalence of Mansonella perstans infections among the nomadic Fulanis of northern Nigeria.

The study was undertaken to investigate the prevalence and clinical manifestations of Mansonella perstans infection in the nomadic Fulanis of northern Nigeria. Physical examination of 755 consenting nomads for clinical manifestations of M. perstans infection was carried out between June 1996-September 2000.

Prevalence of parasitic diseases among nomadic Fulanis of south-eastern Nigeria.

A study was carried out to determine the prevalence of parasitic infections among the nomadic Fulanis of south-eastern Nigeria between September 2003-March 2004. Urine, stool and blood specimens were collected from each of 231 subjects. Of these, 98 (42.

Endemicity of vesical schistosomiasis in the Ebonyi Benue river valley, south eastern Nigeria.

The investigation on the prevalence of patent and clinically severe infections with Schistosoma haematobium was carried out amongst inhabitants of Ebonyi Benue river valley, South Eastern Nigeria between August 2000 and June 2001. The inhabitants are predominantly farmers. Of the 3296 subjects examined from 15 randomly selected villages in the valley, 776 (23.

Dracunculiasis in the north eastern border of Ebonyi State, south eastern Nigeria.

Between January and August 2000, a house-to-house survey of dracunculiasis was conducted in 15 communities along the north eastern border of Ebonyi State, south eastern Nigeria. Of the 3,777 subjects examined, 192 (5.1%) had active cases of guinea worm comprising 109 males (5.