An infection with nematodes of the genus Onchocerca, especially Onchocerca volvulus. Untreated, such infections can cause serious dermatological problems, and in advanced cases may lead to blindness. In certain areas of tropical Africa the blindness caused by onchocerciasis is called river blindness.
Commonly called "river blindness," this parasitic disease is contracted from the bite of a certain fly. Causes blindness if untreated.
a disease caused by the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus that is transmitted by blackflies. See also: river blindness
Infection with Onchocerca a genus of filarial worms, some members of which encyst in the tissues of animals.
infestation with slender threadlike roundworms (filaria) deposited under the skin by the bite of black fleas; when the eyes are involved it can result in blindness; common in Africa and tropical America
an infection caused by the worm Onchocerca volvulus; characterized by a rash, thickening or wrinkling of the skin, and lesions.
A disease also known as "river blindness," a chronic infection caused by the roundworm Onchocerca vulvulus and transmitted by blackflies.
Commonly called "river blindness," onchocerciasis is caused by a parasitic worm, which is spread in the human bloodstream through bites from blackflies and buffalo gnats found in parts of Africa, South America, and Central America. The worm's offspring cause inflammation, bleeding, and other problems in the eye. Without a 15-year regimen of annual doses of Mectizan, blindness will result. (Information supplied by ORBIS International.)
A disease caused by nematode Onchocerca volvulus, which is transmitted by the bite of certain species of female Simulium, or black, flies. It occurs most frequently in central Africa but is also present in Yemen, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, southern Mexico and Venezuela.
River blindness, a disease caused by a parasitic worm (Onchocerca volvulus) transmitted by biting blackflies (buffalo gnats) that breed in fast-flowing rivers. The adult worms can live for up to 15 years in nodules beneath the skin and in the muscles of infected persons, where they produce millions of worm embryos (microfilariae) that invade the skin and other tissues including the eyes. About 18 million persons are affected, mostly in Africa and also in Yemen and Latin America. Both living and dead microfilariae cause severe itching in the skin and sometimes blindness after many years. Since 1987, the drug ivermectin (brand name: Stromectol) has been provided by the manufacturer (Merck) free of charge. A single oral dose administered once a year prevents the accumulation of microfilariae in persons at risk. No drug suitable for mass treatment can kill the adult worms in the body, and therefore, onchocerciasis cannot be wiped out. The blindness, however, can be eliminated.
Onchocerciasis (pronounced ) or river blindness is the world's second leading infectious cause of blindness. It is caused by Onchocerca volvulus, a parasitic worm that can live for up to fourteen years in the human body.