Onchocerciasis in Ecuador: infection in children in the Santiago Basin focus, Province of Esmeraldas

Abstract
The prevalence of onchocerciasis infection in children aged 1–12 in the Santiago Basin focus, province of Esmeraldas, Ecuador, was determined to see if active transmission of the disease had occurred in the past 6 years. An infection rate of 45·0% was found. Compared to that found in 1980 (14·5%), the infection rate had increased by 210·1%. The increase was greater on the Rio Santiago (340·5%) than on the Rio Cayapas (195·5%). An increase of 286% was seen in the skin microfilarial density in the 1–4 year age group, with a 56·8% increase in the 5–12 year age group. The prevalence of infection in children aged 0–4 years (those born since the first enquiry in 1980) was 64·3%, with an average skin microfilarial density of 12·2 microfilariae (mf)/mg and with 20% presenting nodules, of which 92·1% occurred in the head region. Of the 34 children examined aged less than one year, 25 (73·5%) were positive for microfilariae with an average microfilarial skin density of 9·6 mf/mg. These data suggest that there is active transmission of the disease in the Santiago Basin onchocercal foci.

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