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Onchocerciasis “River Blindess ”

Onchocerciasis “River Blindess ”. the world's second leading infectious cause of blindness Pooja Makam. Prevalence!. 17.7 Million INFECTED!. 300, 000 people are blind . 95% + of cases occur within 30 African countries!. 40% of cases are in Nigeria!!!. Who’s at Risk??.

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Onchocerciasis “River Blindess ”

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  1. Onchocerciasis“River Blindess” the world's second leading infectious cause of blindness Pooja Makam

  2. Prevalence! 17.7 Million INFECTED! • 300, 000 people are blind  95% + of cases occur within 30 African countries! 40% of cases are in Nigeria!!!

  3. Who’s at Risk?? • 78 millon people at risk!! • West Africa • Central/South America • Yemen • People living near fast moving rivers Fast Moving Water is Well oxygenated= Great breeding ground!

  4. Causative Agent Vector! Causative Agent! Onchocercavolvolus Black fly- Simulium

  5. How do we get sick from a fly?

  6. Death of Microfilaria Inflammatory Response

  7. Diagnosis • Presence of microfilaria in blood, urine and eyes

  8. Treatment • Medication= Ivermectin • Kills by paralyzing microfilariae(larvae) NO Inflammatory Resonse- No Lesions NO Reproduction

  9. Mechanism of Ivermectin • Glutamate-gated Chloride Channels- found only in Invertebrate Irreversibly activates channel receptors in worm Inhibitory Postsynaptic Potential (IPSP) decreases future action Potential Paralysis DEATH

  10. Repeated Ivermectin exposure Resistance! • Due to genetic changes in parasite • genetic marker = â-tubulin gene Roger Prichard (McGill University, Canada) and colleagues

  11. No Vaccinations!! • Currently no safe drug available to cure this disease or prevent it! • FUTURE?? • Research: Some Cattle develop natural immunity to disease

  12. Socioeconomic Impact • Blindness = up to 50% of adults in W. Africa • Abandoned the fertile river -valleys in fear of contracting the disease + adults were blind and could not work  Poverty and famine!! 1974: economic losses =$30 million  need for Prevention Programs !

  13. Prevention: VECTOR CONTROL • Onchocerciasis Control Programme-OCP in West Africa(1974) • African Program for Onchoceriasis Control APOC- (1997) • Pesticide Spraying • Clear brush/vegetation from the banks of fast running streams to reduce the number of flies • Avoid sleeping outdoors in the day time

  14. Treatment Span • OCP= (green) • APOC=(yellow)

  15. References: • http://www.who.int/topics/onchocerciasis/en/ • http://www.utmb.edu/gsbs/microbook/images/fig92_3.JPG • http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.stanford.edu/group/parasites/ • http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/HTML/Filariasis.htm • http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mectizan.org/images/onchoafricamap.jpg • TRD Wellcome trust • Scientists Step Closer To New Treatments For River Blindness- ScienceDaily (Apr. 16, 2006) • River Blindness Parasite Becoming Resistant To Standard Treatment-ScienceDaily (Sep. 5, 2007) • WHO • CDC

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