Skip to content
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
agricultural and biological sciences
The disappearance of onchocerciasis from the Itwara focus, western Uganda after elimination of the vector Simulium neavei and 19 years of annual ivermectin treatments
Acta Tropica, Volume 126, No. 3, Year 2013
Notification
URL copied to clipboard!
Description
The Itwara onchocerciasis focus is located around the Itwara forest reserve in western Uganda. In 1991, annual treatments with ivermectin started in the focus. They were supplemented in 1995 by the control of the vector Simulium neavei, which was subsequently eliminated from the focus. The impact of the two interventions on the disease was assessed in 2010 by nodule palpations, examinations of skin snips by microscopy and PCR, and Ov16 recombinant ELISA. There was no evidence of any microfilaria in 688 skin snips and only 2 (0.06%) of 3316 children examined for IgG4 were slightly above the arbitrary cut off of 40. A follow up of the same children 21 months later in 2012 confirmed that both were negative for diagnostic antigen Ov-16, skin snip microscopy and PCR. Based on the World Health Organization (WHO) elimination criteria of 2001 and the Uganda onchocerciasis certification guidelines, it was concluded that the disease has disappeared from the Itwara focus after 19 years of ivermectin treatments and the elimination of the vector around 2001. Ivermectin treatments were recommended to be halted. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.
Authors & Co-Authors
Lakwo, Thomson L.
Uganda, Kampala
Uganda Ministry of Health
Garms, Rolf
Germany, Hamburg
Bernhard Nocht Institut Fur Tropenmedizin Hamburg
Rubaale, Tom K.
Uganda
Community Basic Health Services
Katabarwa, Moses N.
United States, Atlanta
The Carter Center
Walsh, Frank
United Kingdom
Lytham st Annes
Habomugisha, Peace
Uganda
The Carter Centre
Oguttu, David Were
Uganda, Kampala
Uganda Ministry of Health
Unnasch, Thomas Raymond
United States, Tampa
University of South Florida Health
Namanya, H.
Uganda, Kampala
Uganda Ministry of Health
Tukesiga, Ephraim
Uganda
Kabarole District Local Government
Katamanywa, James
Uganda, Kyenjojo
Kyenjojo District Local Government
Bamuhiiga, Jotham T.
Uganda
Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital
Byamukama, Edson
Uganda
The Carter Centre
Agunyo, Stella
Uganda
The Carter Centre
Richards, Frank O.
United States, Atlanta
The Carter Center
Statistics
Citations: 49
Authors: 15
Affiliations: 10
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1016/j.actatropica.2013.02.016
ISSN:
0001706X
e-ISSN:
18736254
Research Areas
Infectious Diseases
Maternal And Child Health
Study Locations
Uganda