1. Onchocerciasis (River Blindness)
Helen Xiao
BIO.62

2. Most victims are in sub-Saharan Africa

3. Infection leads to nodules
Uganda

4. Worms Avoids Immune System by hiding in nodules

5. Inflammation causes Itchy Rashes and an appearance of leopard skin

6. Infection leads clouding of the cornea
Nigeria

7. Blindness can occur if disease is not treated

8. River blindness is caused by: nematode Onchocerca volvulus
web.stanford.edu

9. The nematode is transmitted by the bite of a FEMALE black fly

10. Life Cycle:

11. Life Cycle of Onchocerca volvulus goes through human and black fly stages

12. Parasitic nematodes have an endosymbiotic relationship with the wolbachia bacteria

13. Wolbachia bacteria causes the symptoms of river blindness

14. Wolbachia bacteria causes the symptoms of river blindness

15. To diagnose the disease, doctors look for larvae in Skin snips

16. Early treatments were ineffective and caused severe side effects
Diethylcarbamazine (DEC)-
Kills microfilariae
Accelerates onchocercal blindness

17. Early treatments were ineffective and caused severe side effects
Diethylcarbamazine (DEC)-
Kills microfilariae
Accelerates onchocercal blindness
Suramin-
Kills adult worms
Highly Toxic

18. Two new treatments are much more effective:
Ivermectin Kills Larvae

19. Two new treatments are much more effective:
Ivermectin Kills Larvae
Doxycycline Kills Wolbachia bacteria and thus adult worms

20. Research shows Two drugs are better than one

21. Wearing insect repellent and covering exposed skin can Prevent infection

22. End the Life Cycle of onchocerca volvulus with help from merk

23. End the Life Cycle of onchocerca volvulus with help from merk

24. 37 million still infected but we are on the right track

25. Works Cited: http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/onchocerciasis/