How To Spot Onchocerciasis

Onchocerciasis occurs due to the bite of a sub-Saharan blackfly, and may also be called river blindness. When the black fly bites a human and ingests their blood, the microfilariae that exist in the fly enter under the skin of the individual who was bitten. The person usually needs to be bitten by several blackflies before an infestation takes place. While the infestation with onchocerciasis occurs immediately, signs of the resulting disease may not be noticeable for several months to years. While the disease can be noticed on the skin, in many cases, it isn’t diagnosed with certainty until an individual’s eyes and vision are affected. The disease frequently is found in the skin and lymphatic system of an individual, and it can also be found in the blood, sputum, and urine of someone who is infested too. Each of the larvae can live for ten to fifteen years in its human host, and females can continually produce for up to nine years. Get to know the most common symptoms of onchocerciasis now.

Itchy Skin Inflammation

Because the larvae infest the skin, it becomes inflamed and itchy. As the infestation remains untreated, it can spread and cause further inflamed skin and itching. One of the first symptoms of onchocerciasis may be an itchy skin inflammation that increases and doesn’t go away with the typical remedies for itchy skin. Also, if the individual’s skin has debilitating itchiness, inflamed and develops nodules, and especially if the patient has ever visited sub-Saharan Africa or South America, testing for onchocerciasis should be performed. Testing is crucial, as onchocerciasis remains one of the leading causes of infectious blindness in the world.

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Lymphadenitis

Lymphadenitis, or swollen glands, occurs in many cases when the body is fighting off a viral or bacterial infection. Swelling of the lymphatic nodules can also occur in non-infectious diseases such as onchocerciasis. When parasites invade the body as they do in the case of this disease, the body reacts by trying to fight the parasites off as they would a virus or bacteria. Since many viruses and bacteria can cause swollen lymph glands, this symptom is not the most indicative of onchocerciasis. But in combination with other symptoms, swollen glands do indicate a parasitic infection. Medications might be given to kill the parasites and heal the patient from any infection that may also occur with this disease.

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Patchy Skin Depigmentation

When the skin irritations and nodules of onchocerciasis occur, they may be caused by the response of the body to the dying or dead blackfly larvae, which create seriously itchy skin. No matter what treatment is used or how hard an infected individual tries, they are bound to scratch their severely itchy skin, which may lead to skin damage. This skin damage, in turn, may cause a leopard-like appearance of the skin, skin color change, skin thinning, and damage to the elastic tissue that causes the skin to appear like cigarette paper. Constant damage due to itching and scratching remains the primary cause of skin damage and patchy skin depigmentation.

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Eye Lesions

Dead and dying larvae not only cause nodules and lesions in the skin, but in the eyes as well. The inflammation of these dying bodies can initially be reversed. But, if not treated, the damage caused by dead and dying larvae might progress to the cornea becoming permanently clouded. The vision eventually becomes clouded, and then optic nerve damage causes peripheral vision loss. Eventually, untreated eye lesions can lead to uncorrectable vision loss. Seeing a doctor as soon as possible when vision issues occur should enable earlier diagnosis and treatment of this disease, and stop the recurring growth of the black fly larvae in the body and especially in the eyes.

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Issues With Vision

Eye lesions lead to other issues with vision. If an individual receives treatment for their issues with vision related to onchocerciasis, they may recover their vision. However, if a person doesn’t receive treatment, the dead and dying larvae in their eyes can damage the optic nerve and cornea. If the optic nerve becomes inflamed, first an affected individual will lose their peripheral vision. If the disease is still not treated, the optic nerve will continue to be damaged. Vision loss will continue until blindness occurs. Early diagnosis and treatment remain the best ways for an individual to rid themselves of onchocerciasis and preserve their vision.