LOIASIS AND OCULAR STATUS IN SOME ONCHOCERCIASIS ENDEMIC COMMUNITIES

ABSTRACT

Esan West Local Government Area (LGA) of Edo State is endemic for onchocerciasis (river blindness). Co-endemicity of onchocerciasis and loiasis result in severe adverse events (SAEs) such as encephalopathy, when ivermectin is administered to treat onchocerciasis in endemic communities. In order to forestall such reactions, consequently, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that persons living in onchocerciasis endemic communities be evaluated for co-infection with loiasis. This is the basis of this present study. The survey also seeks to find out other ocular conditions that are prevalent in these communities. Egoro-Amede, Farm Settlement, Ora-Ede and Ukhun were the four communities selected for this study. Snowballing sampling technique was employed in the survey. A five-year-age interval was used to categorize the respondents into specific age brackets beginning from age 15 (15-20 years; 21-25 years; 26-30 years; 31-35 years; 36-40 years; 41-45 years; 46-50 years); others were categorized into >50 years. A total of 220 respondents were interviewed: Egoro-Amede (61), Farm Settlement (53), Ora-Ede (38) and Ukhun (68). Of these, 134 were males, 86 were females, with age ranging from 15 – 110 (mean – 60). Of the 220 respondents interviewed for Loa loa infection, only 18 persons (8.2%) reported having a history of eye worm. Egoro-Amede and Farm settlement had the highest prevalence (3.6%).