Deaths / year
0
GBD (indicative unless refreshed)
DALYs / year
1,200,000
GBD
Pathogen
Helminth
Post-infectious
Chronic disease
Persistent symptoms
n/a
infected in high-transmission foci
Post-infectious syndrome & persistent symptoms
Whether a post-acute infection syndrome is documented and the literature proportion with persistent symptoms.
Documented post-infectious syndrome
Onchocercal skin/eye disease; onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy
not quantified
persistent symptoms — of infected in high-transmission foci
Summary
Chronic dermatitis and vision loss are near-universal with heavy infection; epilepsy (incl. nodding syndrome) prevalence is elevated 2-3x in highly endemic villages. Single pooled % not established.
Timeframe
chronic
Evidence strength
moderate
Classification
Chronic disease
Sources: Colebunders 2018; WHO onchocerciasis
Therapeutic agents by stage
Vector control, prevention, acute treatment, and post-infectious care. Only agents with published evidence are shown by default.
Vector & transmission control
| Agent | Type | Status | Mechanism / role | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simulium vector control (larviciding) | Vector control | Approved | Blackfly breeding-site treatment | WHO onchocerciasis |
Prevention
| Agent | Type | Status | Mechanism / role | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivermectin | Anthelmintic | Approved | Microfilaricidal; annual/biannual MDA | WHO EML / standard of care |
| Moxidectin | Anthelmintic | Approved | Alternative microfilaricide (FDA-approved) | WHO EML / standard of care |
Post-infectious phase
| Agent | Type | Status | Mechanism / role | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skin & eye disease management | Supportive | Approved | Chronic dermatitis, vision rehabilitation | WHO |
Associated drug targets (Open Targets): CALR, IGHE, IL5, ACE, IL10, IL6
Burden: IHME GBD (indicative seed unless refreshed) · Therapeutics: curated WHO EML / SOC + Open Targets pipeline · Post-infectious data: curated peer-reviewed literature · Ontology: MONDO_0017137 · Updated 2026-07-10. Associations, not a diagnostic test.