ONCHOCERCA

VOLVULUS
PRESENTED BY: ANDREA NICOLE ANEZ
& RHIO SUMAYLO
INTRODUCTION:

Parasitic worm that belongs to

the phylum Nematoda
Second-leading cause of
blindness due to infection
worldwide after trachoma
 ONCHOCERCA VOLVULUS

Synonyms Diseases

Blinding Filarial River Blindness/

Convulated Onchocerciasis
Filarial
 HOST & HABITAT
Intermediate Host:
FEMALE BLACKLIES
(Simulium damnosum)

MICROFILARIA (embryonic larvae) is

found thoracic flight muscles of the
blackfly
 HOST & HABITAT
Definitive Host: MICROFILARIA (embryonic larvae) is found
in various tissues in human:
HUMAN
Skin
Lymph vessels
Lymph nodes
Blood
Urine
Cerebrospinal fluid
Internal organs (especially the eyes)
 HOST & HABITAT
Definitive Host: ADULT WORMS are found in lumen of
subcutaneous connective tissue/ nodules
HUMAN under the skin.
 MORPHOLOGY
Microfilaria Larva
(offspring of adult female worms).
(developmental stage of the parasite)
They are unsheathed (do not have a protective
covering)

SHAPE: small, elongated, and thread-like INFECTIVE STAGE: Larvae introduced by

LENGTH: 220 to 360 µm
the blackflies into the humans.
WIDTH: 5 to 9 µm
LIFESPAN: 2 years
DIAGNOSTIC STAGE: Microfilariae
produced by the adult worms in human
body.
 MORPHOLOGY
Adult
FEMALE
SHAPE: epicuticle forms protruberances
LENGTH: 30 to 50 cm
DIAMETER: 270 to 400 µm

MALE
SHAPE: epicuticle is wrinkled
LENGTH: 19 to 42 mm
DIAMETER: 130 to 210 µm
LIFE CYCLE
 Epidemiology
25 million people are infected with O. volvulus worldwide
Onchocerciasis mainly found in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin
America (Yanomami area of Brazil and Venezuela), and Middle
East (Yemen)
Affects rural communities, especially those lacking healthcare
access
Transmitted to humans through exposure to repeated bites of
infected blackflies of the genus Simulium
RIVER BLINDNESS/ONCHOCERCIASIS

More than 99% of infected people live in 31 African

countries.
Angola Equatorial Guinea Niger
Benin Ethiopia Nigeria
Burkina Faso Gabon Rwanda
Burundi Ghana Senegal
Cameroon Guinea Sierra Leone
Central African Republic Guinea-Bissau South Sudan
Chad Kenya Sudan
Republic of Congo Liberia Togo
Côte d’Ivoire Malawi Uganda
Democratic Republic of Mali United Republic of
the Congo Mozambique Tanzania.
 Pathology
Onchocerciasis, or river blindness, is caused by infection with the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus. It presents
with four cardinal manifestations: dermatitis, subcutaneous nodules, sclerosing lymphadenitis, and eye disease.

Sclerosing
Dermatitis Subcutaneous Nodules
Lymphadenitis
Subcutaneous Nodule
Dermatitis

“River Blindness”
 METHODS & DIAGNOSIS
The diagnosis of onchocerciasis can be difficult in light infections, which are
more common in persons who have travelled to but are not residents of affected
areas.

Skin Snip Biopsy (Skin Nodule examination Antibody tests

shaving) (Biopsies of nodule)
Polymerase Chain Slit-lamp Examination
Reaction (PCR)
 Prevention & Treatment
The best prevention efforts include personal protection measures against biting insects.
Vector Control
Wearing insect repellant such as N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) on exposed skin
Wearing long sleeves and long pants during the day when blackflies bite and permethrin- treated clothing
Mass Drug Administration (MDA)
Improving Sanitation and Water Access
The primary treatment for Onchocerca volvulus infection, commonly known as onchocerciasis or river
blindness, is the administration of the medication ivermectin (Mectizan).
Ivermectin is an antiparasitic medication that effectively kills the microfilariae (larval stage) of Onchocerca
volvulus.
It is usually administered as a single oral dose, typically once or twice a year.
Ivermectin does not kill the adult worms but significantly reduces the number of circulating microfilariae, thereby
preventing disease progression and reducing transmission to others.
Permethrin Treated Clothing

Bug or Insect repellents

END