ONCHOCERCIASIS

Course overview

ONCHOCERCIASIS, ALSO KNOWN AS RIVER BLINDNESS, IS THE SECOND COMMONEST CAUSE OF INFECTIOUS BLINDNESS IN THE WORLD AND IS TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE REPEATED BITES OF THE BLACK FLY (SIMULIUM DAMNOSUM), WHICH ACTS AS THE VECTOR. IT IS WELL KNOWN FOR ITS DERMATOLOGIC AND OPHTHALMIC MANIFESTATIONS WHICH OCCUR AS A RESULT OF DYING AND DEAD MICROFILARIAE INCITING AN IMMUNOLOGIC/INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE, ULTIMATELY RESULTING IN TISSUE DAMAGE AND SCARRING. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF ONCHOCERCIASIS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.