Medium urgency
CommonModerately severe
It is a chronic parasitic disease, also known as onchocerciasis or river blindness, which mainly affects tropical and subtropical areas of Africa, Latin America and Yemen.
It is caused by infection with filarial worms transmitted by the bite of a black fly.
It may be asymptomatic or associated with skin and eye symptoms. Deep lumps (nodules), intense itching, depigmented patches and loss of skin elasticity may appear on the skin. Eye involvement may present with chronic conjunctivitis, inflammation of the eyelids, opaque cornea, blurred vision and blindness.
In addition, studies have been described in which infection with this parasite has been associated with epilepsy.
Diagnosis is based on the patient's clinical history, skin biopsy to identify the presence of filariae, antibody detection and eye examinations.
Treatment includes antiparasitic drugs such as ivermectin.
- Centros de Control y Prevención de Enfermedades. Parásitos - Oncocercosis (también conocida como ceguera de los ríos).
- Fleta Zaragozano, J., y G. Rodríguez Martínez. 2000. “Oncocercosis”. Medicina Integral 35 (3): 118–21. https://www.elsevier.es/es-revista-medicina-integral-63-articulo-oncocercosis-15364.
- Kluxen G, Hoerauf A. La importancia de algunas observaciones sobre la oncocercosis ocular africana descrita por Jean Hissette (1888-1965). Bull Soc Belge Ophtalmol 2008; :53.
- Murdoch ME, Hay RJ, Mackenzie CD, et al. Una clasificación clínica y un sistema de clasificación de los cambios cutáneos en la oncocercosis. Br J Dermatol 1993; 129:260.
- König R, Nassri A, Meindl M, et al. El papel de Onchocerca volvulus en el desarrollo de la epilepsia en una zona rural de Tanzania. Parasitología 2010; 137:1559.
Dr. Abel Andrés Orelogio
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