EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF NEONATAL PARASITISM WITH MICROFILARIAE OF ONCHOCERCA-VOLVULUS

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 30  (4) , 477-481
Abstract
Between April 1977 and June, 1978, 214 babies born of 210 mothers infected with onchocerciasis, were examined at the maternity of Po Hospital (Upper Volta). In 4 of them (1.9%) dermal microfilariae of O. volvulus were found during the 1st wk after birth. In 2 other cases microfilariae were seen in the tissue of the umbilical cord. All specimens from placentas and amniotic fluid gave negative results. The infected babies were reexamined monthly from 2-18 mo., depending on the cases. One child remained positive until the 6th mo. follow-up. The base-line examination of 5757 children less than 2 yr old from different villages in the WHO Onchocerciasis Control Program in the Volta River basin area showed that 1% of children less than 1 yr old and 2% of children of 12-23 mo. old were carriers of dermal microfilariae. In meso- or hyperendemic areas children less than 1 yr old and carriers of microfilariae of O. volvulus may have been infected in utero. The existence of such cases, in an area of vector control, does not prove a residual vector-borne transmission.

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