Details:

Alternative Title:
MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep
Corporate Authors:
National onchocerciasis elimination programs of Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Venezuela ; Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas/The Carter Center, Guatemala City, Guatemala ; Pan American Health Organizatio ; Center for Global Health (U.S.). Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria.
National onchocerciasis elimination programs of Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Venezuela ; Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas/The Carter Center, Guatemala City, Guatemala ; Pan American Health Organizatio ; Center for Global Health (U.S.). Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria. Less -
Description:
Onchocerciasis (river blindness) is caused by the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus, transmitted to humans by the bite of infected black flies of the genus Simulium, and is characterized by chronic skin disease, severe itching, and eye lesions that can progress to complete blindness. Currently, among approximately 123 million persons at risk for infection in 38 endemic countries, at least 25.7 million are infected, and 1 million are blinded or have severe visual impairment. Periodic, communitywide mass drug administration (MDA) with ivermectin (Mectizan, Merck) prevents eye and skin disease and might interrupt transmission of the infection, depending on the coverage, duration, and frequency of MDA. The Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas (OEPA) was launched in response to a 1991 resolution of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) calling for the elimination of onchocerciasis from the Americas. By the end of 2012, transmission of the infection, judged by surveys following World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, had been interrupted or eliminated in four of the six endemic countries in the WHO Americas Region. Thus, in 2013, only 4% (23,378) of the 560,911 persons originally at risk in the Americas will be under ivermectin MDA. Active transmission currently is limited to two foci among Yanomami indigenes in adjacent border areas of Venezuela and Brazil.
Subject:
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Antiparasitic Agents
Articles
Humans
Ivermectin
Onchocerciasis, Ocular

Source:
MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2013; 62(20):405-408.
Pubmed ID:
23698606
Pubmed Central ID:
PMC4604938
Document Type:
Journal Article
Place as Subject:
Guatemala ; Mexico ; South America
Guatemala ; Mexico ; South America Less -
Collection(s):
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
Main Document Checksum:
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urn:sha256:0b1ae6d46b701c4e230c41c461f4e192dbd87141216965ccff3fa419fcea8710
File Type:

Supporting Files

• 	405-408.nxml	xml
  	405-408f1.gif	gif
  	405-408f1.jpg	jpeg

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