View clinical trials related to Onchocerciasis.
Filter by:For the first time using a prospective design, a study confirms the results of previous retrospective studies, which found that strengthening onchocerciasis elimination efforts decreases the incidence of epilepsy, including nodding syndrome. Therefore, this study confirms the solid epidemiological link between onchocerciasis and epilepsy. This study also shows that a community-based "Slash and Clear" vector control method can effectively decrease blackfly biting rates and potentially decrease onchocerciasis transmission. Moreover, this study shows that epilepsy is a major cause of death in onchocerciasis endemic areas with high ongoing transmission.
Onchocerciasis is a neglected tropical disease associated with epilepsy, particularly in areas of high Onchocerciasis volvulus transmission. Onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy is characterised by seizures that start between the ages of five to 18 years. The tropical disease can be controlled through community-directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTi). Mahenge, in Tanzania, had a high prevalence of onchocerciasis and epilepsy despite more than 20 years of annual CDTi. Hence, the Tanzanian Neglected Tropical Diseases Control Programme has switched from annual to bi-annually CDTi since 2019. After this switch, the CDTi coverage increased and was sustained in both ivermectin rounds in 2021, and the number of new epilepsy cases decreased. The latter were persons who did not take ivermectin the year they had the first seizures. Hence, all ivermectin-eligible children at risk of onchocerciasis should take ivermectin at least annually. Overall, increasing the frequency and coverage of the CDTi programme should be considered in onchocerciasis-endemic areas with a high prevalence of epilepsy.
This DOLF study will investigate the safety and effectiveness of IDA treatment in persons with onchocerciasis when it is administered after pre-treatment with ivermectin to clear or greatly reduce microfilariae from the skin and eyes.
This study aims at evaluating the safety and efficacy of levamisole in patients with loiasis infection.
The primary purpose of this study is to determine a dose of moxidectin for children 4 to 11 years that is equivalent to an 8 mg dose administered for treatment of onchocerciasis in people 12 years and over. The secondary purpose is to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetics of a single dose of moxidectin in children and adolescents aged 4 to 17 years.
Randomized clinical trial in the Logo health zone, in Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo to compare seizure freedom in onchocerciasis infested epilepsy patients who ivermectin treatment once a year compared to 2 and 3 times a year. All participants also receive anti-epileptic drugs according to local guidelines for epilepsy treatment. Participants will be followed for 12 months. The primary endpoint is seizure freedom defined as no seizures during the last fourth months of the trial.
The DOLF Ocular Changes after Ivermectin study will investigate the kinetics of O. volvulus microfilaria (Mf) in the eye following treatment with ivermectin. The primary objective is to determine the proportion of participants with complete Mf clearance from the eye at 3 and 6 months following treatment with ivermectin (IVM).
Onchocerciasis is a vector-borne nematode parasitic disease that causes severe disability. Onchocerciasis affects approximately 33 million people, mostly in 30 countries in sub-Saharan Africa (with small foci in Latin America and Yemen) 1This disease causes blindness and severe skin disease and it is spread by black flies. O. volvulus adult worms live in subcutaneous nodules. O. volvulus adult worms are larger and less sensitive to available drug treatments than those of the species that cause Lymphatic Filariasis (LF). They also have a longer lifespan (approximately 14 years rather than the estimated 7 years for LF parasites). Several programs and developments have greatly improved the Onchocerciasis. situation since the 1970's when the Onchocerciasis Control Programme (OCP) in West Africa (green countries in the map) was initiated. OCP relied exclusively on vector (black fly) control in its early years. However, following the appearance of Ivermectin (Mectizan) on the scene in the late 1980's, OCP transitioned to become a drug distribution program with annual IVM MDA in 11 countries. OCP ended in 2002. This was replaced by the African Program for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) which coordinates community directed distribution of IVM MDA in 28 African countries (including the former OCP countries). OCP and APOC have done a good job of reducing parasite infection intensities and Onchocerciasis disease rates in many endemic countries. Unfortunately, there is no real end in sight for the APOC approach (apart from a funding endpoint in 2015); while it may be possible to eliminate Onchocerciasis. In selected areas by MDA with IVM (alone, or combined with vector control), disease control programs in most African countries will require active maintenance for many years to come. While IVR has good activity against the parasite larvae that cause disease in the skin and eye (microfilariae or Mf), it does not kill O. volvulus adult worms, and they resume production of Mf that can lead to transmission of new Onchocerciasis. Cases by black flies after a few months. APOC activities are focused on areas with high infection rates (where disease risks are highest). However, extensive areas in Africa where fewer than 20% of adult men have Onchocerciasis nodules detectable by palpation are not receiving interventions for Onchocerciasis at this time. These areas are not disease free. (Onchocerciasis dermatitis can be severe in hypoendemic areas), and they also may serve as a source for reintroduction of the parasite into previously controlled areas after interventions stop.
Lymphatic filariasis is a neglected tropical disease earmarked for elimination as a public health problem by the year 2020. Since the year 2000, the Global Program for the Elimination of LF has together with endemic countries undertaken preventive chemotherapy in endemic districts to entire at risk populations. In Ghana, treatment of LF is based on the drugs Ivermectin and Albendazole. Remarkable achievements have been made towards the control and elimination of LF in Ghana. However, there remain programmatic and implementation challenges that need to be addressed in order to ensure that the gains made over the last 15 years are sustained. Among these challenges is the persistent transmission of LF in some districts despite more than 10 years of MDA. Furthermore, LF cases have been identified in communities from eight districts, previously considered as non-endemic. The extent of endemicity in these new districts is unknown. In order to achieve the 2020 elimination targets, it is crucial to determine the distribution and infection prevalence of LF in these districts. Evaluating these districts for LF endemicity will help the implementation of appropriate strategies towards achieving the 2020 target. This protocol describes the surveys to be undertaken in Ghana in 3 of these districts. The current standard mapping methodologies of LF have the potential to miss LF endemic villages, due to the focal nature of LF. As such, in order to enhance the chances to detect endemic communities, this survey will use a combination of the WHO EPI cluster survey and current LF mapping protocols. 15 communities will be selected in each district, with 100 survey participants per community. Survey participants will be screened for LF infection using immunological and parasitological methods. Study participants will also be tested for onchocerciasis infection using immunological and parasitological methods in districts where LF and oncho are co-endemic. The information from this survey will be combined with the data on the LF vectors and their infection status in the survey areas and relevant data available at the Ghana Health Service to: 1. determine whether LF intervention strategies are indicated in these three districts, 2. design, as indicated, appropriate intervention strategies to achieve LF elimination in these three districts by 2020 3. inform, if indicated, co-implementation of control, monitoring and evaluation for LF and onchocerciasis in the two onchocerciasis endemic districts 4. extract lessons learnt for the design and implementation of surveys in the other districts currently considered non-endemic but where LF cases have been reported. New rapid diagnostic tests have been developed to assess infection Lf and onchocerciasis infection prevalence at the time of the decision to stop MDA and for surveillance for new infections once MDA has been stopped. These include Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDT) for antibodies against the W. bancrofti antigen WB123 and the O. volvulus antigen Ov16. These tests still require large scale field validation. Provided additional funding becomes available, this survey will be used to obtain field validation data.
Many studies have reported an association between epilepsy, including Nodding Syndrome (NS), and onchocerciasis (river blindness). A high prevalence of epilepsy has been noted particularly in onchocerciasis hyperendemic areas where onchocerciasis is not or insufficiently controlled with mass Ivermectin distribution. There is evidence that increasing the coverage of Ivermectin reduces the incidence of epilepsy and anecdotal evidence suggests a reduction in seizure frequency in onchocerciasis associated epilepsy (OAE) patients who receive Ivermectin. Finding an alternative treatment for epilepsy in these patients will have major consequences. Objective To assess whether Ivermectin treatment decreases the frequency of seizures and leads to seizure freedom in OAE patients, including patients with NS. If we are able to demonstrate such an effect this would be an extra argument that Onchocerciasis is causing epilepsy and that therefore we should increase our efforts to eliminate onchocerciasis. Methods We will conduct a randomized clinical trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to compare seizure freedom in onchocerciasis infested epilepsy patients who receive immediate Ivermectin treatment with delayed (after four months) Ivermectin treatment. All participants will simultaneously receive anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) according to local guidelines for epilepsy treatment. The primary endpoint is seizure freedom defined as no seizures during the fourth month of follow-up. Secondary endpoint is significant (>50%) seizure reduction compared to baseline seizure frequency. Reduction of seizures will be compared between Ivermectin and non-Ivermectin arms. Current status Start of enrolment is planned from March 2017 and we expect to have enrolled all 110 participants by August 2017. Results are expected early 2018. Discussion If Ivermectin treatment, in addition to AEDs, is able to lead to seizure freedom or significantly reduces seizure frequency in OAE patients this will have major consequences for epilepsy treatment in Onchocerciasis endemic regions. Ivermectin is donated for free, and in non Loa-Loa endemic regions has negligible side effects. Reducing the burden of epilepsy will have a major impact on quality of life and socio-economic status of families with affected members in Africa.