Abstract
BackgroundMass drug administration (MDA) of ivermectin has become the main intervention to control onchocerciasis or “river blindness”. In Togo, after many years of MDA, Onchocerca volvulus infection has declined dramatically, and elimination appears achievable, but in certain river basins the current situation remains unknown. We have conducted parasitological, serological, ophthalmological, and entomological assessments in northern and central Togo within the river basins of Ôti, Kéran and Mô.Methodology/Principal findingsExaminations were completed in 1,455 participants from 11 onchocerciasis sentinel villages, and O. volvulus transmission by Simulium damnosum sensu lato (s.l.) was evaluated. In children (aged 1–10 years), the prevalence of microfilariae (Mf) was 2.3% and in adults it ranged from 5.1 to 13.3%. Positive IgG4 responses to O. volvulus adult (crude) worm antigen (OvAg) and the recombinant Ov16 antigen were in all-ages 48.7% and 34.4%, and 29.1% and 14.9% in children, respectively. In the river basin villages of Kéran, Mô and Ôti, the IgG4 seroprevalences to OvAg in children were 51.7%, 23.5% and 12.7%, respectively, and to the Ov16 antigen 33.3% (Kéran) and 5.2% (Ôti). Onchocerciasis ocular lesions (punctate keratitis, evolving iridocyclitis and chorioretinitis) were observed in children and young adults. O. volvulus-specific DNA (Ov150) was detected by poolscreen in vector samples collected from Tchitchira/Kéran(22.8%), Bouzalo/Mô(11.3%), Baghan/Mô(2.9%) and Pancerys/Ôti(4.9%); prevalences of O. volvulus infection in S. damnosum s.l. were, respectively, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1% and 0.2%.Conclusions/SignificanceIn the northern and central river basins in Togo, interruption of O. volvulus transmission has not yet been attained. Patent O. volvulus infections, positive antibody responses, progressive ocular onchocerciasis were diagnosed, and parasite transmission by S. damnosum s.l. occurred close to the survey locations. Future interventions may require approaches selectively targeted to non-complying endemic populations, to the seasonality of parasite transmission and national onchocerciasis control programs should harmonize cross-border MDA as a coordinated intervention.
Highlights
In large parts of Africa, onchocerciasis has been controlled as a public health problem by the Onchocerciasis Control Programme in West Africa (OCP) and the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) by mass drug administration (MDA) of ivermectin, and this intervention has been applied for more than two decades
Regular epidemiological surveys conducted by the National Onchocerciasis Control Programme (NOCP) have shown that after nearly three decades of Mass drug administration (MDA) in most of the onchocerciasis hyperendemic districts, the O. volvulus microfilarial prevalence has diminished below 5% in all age groups and below 1% in children aged less than 10 years, suggesting that considerable progress has been made towards the elimination of onchocerciasis according to the operational prevalence thresholds proposed in the Conceptual Framework for Elimination of Onchocerciasis by APOC [3, 8]
The O. volvulus microfilarial prevalence in onchocerciasis sentinel villages located in the major river basins of Oti, Keran, Kara, Mo, Koumoungou, Anie and Mono declined markedly (Fig 1), and until the year 2014, the median prevalence of O. volvulus infections dropped below 5%, but in several locations the Mf-positivity exceeded this level in the river basins of Oti, Keran and Mo
Summary
In large parts of Africa, onchocerciasis has been controlled as a public health problem by the Onchocerciasis Control Programme in West Africa (OCP) and the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) by mass drug administration (MDA) of ivermectin, and this intervention has been applied for more than two decades. In a vast part of the initial control areas of the OCP, Onchocerca volvulus infection prevalence and intensity levels have greatly declined [1, 2], and currently, the elimination of onchocerciasis appears achievable in certain endemic regions [3,4,5,6,7]. In Togo, the northern territories had been part of the initial OCP anti-vectorial intervention areas since 1976, whereas the central regions were included into the vector control programme in 1987, and in both areas, blackfly vector control measures were supplemented since 1988 by MDA with ivermectin. In Togo, after many years of MDA, Onchocerca volvulus infection has declined dramatically, and elimination appears achievable, but in certain river basins the current situation remains unknown. Serological, ophthalmological, and entomological assessments in northern and central Togo within the river basins of Oti, Keran and Mo.
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