Clinical and parasitological aspects of itching caused by onchocerciasis in Morogoro, Tanzania

Citation
Wh. Makunde et al., Clinical and parasitological aspects of itching caused by onchocerciasis in Morogoro, Tanzania, ANN TROP M, 94(8), 2000, pp. 793-799
Citations number
21
Categorie Soggetti
Envirnomentale Medicine & Public Health","Medical Research General Topics
Journal title
ANNALS OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND PARASITOLOGY
ISSN journal
00034983 → ACNP
Volume
94
Issue
8
Year of publication
2000
Pages
793 - 799
Database
ISI
SICI code
0003-4983(200012)94:8<793:CAPAOI>2.0.ZU;2-7
Abstract
A clinical and parasitological assessment of onchodermatitis was conducted in a rural area of Morogoro district, Tanzania. The study population consis ted of 1005 individuals aged greater than or equal to5 years: 749 from a hy per-endemic community and 256 from a hypo-endemic. The prevalence of troubl esome itching was 67.0% in the hyper-endemic community but only 5% (13/256) in the hypo-endemic. The corresponding prevalences of nodules among the ad ult male subjects were 77.7% (171/220) and 2.3% (2/86). The most common onc hocercal skin lesion in the hyper-endemic community was chronic papular onc hodermatitis (CPOD) manifested by itching, which was often very severe. The re was a strong association between skin itching and endemicity (r = 0.75; P<0.001). The prevalence of CPOD in the hyper-endemic community was signifi cantly higher in males than females (P<0.001). CPOD was only observed in su bjects aged greater than or equal to7 years. Many of the subjects were chec ked for microfilaridermia, by skin-snipping. The prevalence of microfilarid ermia [58.2% (393/675) v. 6.2% (3/48)] and its geometric mean intensity (8. 9 v. 1.0 microfilariae/mg skin snip) were both higher in the hyper-endemic community than the hypo-endemic. Itching appears to be related to reactive onchodermatitis.