Onchocerciasis and the Right to Clean Water

Claire Danielson 1, Rose Hildebrandt 2, Timothy Stone 3 Biological Sciences 1, Cognitive and Learning Sciences 2, and Social Sciences Departments 3

What is Onchocerciasis? Quick Facts The Right to Clean Water • Onchocerciasis is a disease caused by a parasitic • About 50% of men over the age of 40 have been blinded by the disease in some West African communities People infected by river blindness and other NTDs worm spread by the bite of infected flies • There has been a $30 million annual economic loss in some regions due to people moving away from fertile often find themselves facing lifelong physical • The disease is also known as “River Blindness” river regions to less productive upland areas impairment ; they may be unable to go to school or because these flies breed in streams and rivers • Out of the 120 million people world wide who are at risk of Onchocerciasis, 95% are in Africa work and become trapped in a cycle of poverty and advanced stages of the disease are • About 300,000 people are blind because of the parasite and another 800,000 have visual impairment and social isolation . Many NTDs, including characterized by blindness Onchocerciasis, are treatable and preventable but lack the funding necessary to treat the affected • Black flies are the vector for Onchocerca volvulus, Symptoms Treatment Prevention and Control communities . a parasitic worm People with heavy infections Comm on m e d ic in e s used to treat Currently there is no vaccine or • Blindness is caused With a little generally have one or more of Onchocerciasis in clu d e : medication to prevent infection by inflammation concentration th re e con d ition s: • Ivermectin : this treatment kills with O. volvulus . The best due to dead larvae on 1. Skin ra sh larvae and prevents them from protection is avoiding the biting in the eye Onchocerciasis, 2. Eye disease causing damage . Treatment flies completely . Other options m illion s of • Onchocerciasis is a 3. Nodules under the skin must continue for up to 15 years include treating water to eradicate people can be Neglected Tropical as the adult worms may live the flies as well as bringing in saved from the Onchocerciasis Disease (NTD) that long clean water to those living near health and Figure 1: A female Simulium fly also has an • Doxycycline : this treatment kills infected bodies of water . Vector social important socio- the Wolbachia bacteria that control methods were utilized in outcom es of Figure 6: A child and health workers celebrate the Distribution cu ltu ra l im p a ct billionth NTD treatment from Sightsavers adult worms survive on West Africa and were found to be the disease. • All ages are affected by Onchocerciasis on se lf-esteem, As Onchocerciasis is an NTD, it has highly effective, but due to • Risk of infection is highest in those living and education, and funding shortages these methods Future Outlook working near infected bodies of water (fishermen w o rk. P h ysic a l not historically been prioritized by governments . could not be used in other areas • Vision 2020  eliminate the m ain causes of all and farmers), travelers to the area for extended im p a irm e n ts . amounts of time (including missionaries and resulting from preventable and treatable blindness as a public those in the Peace Corps) the disease can health issue by the year 2020 leave people • Expansion of onchocerciasis control activities Figure 3: Symptoms worldwide including the support of WHO and u n a b le to include rashes, itching, p rovid e for blindness several other agencies (OEPA, OCP, APOC) themselves. References and Acknowledgements [1] Etya'ale, D. (2001). Vision 2020: Update on onchocerciasis. Community Eye Health, 14(38), 19-21. Retrieved from https://services.lib.mtu.edu:5003/docview/734208362?accountid=28041 [2] Geographical distribution of onchocerciasis. (2015, March 16). Retrieved from https://www.who.int/onchocerciasis/distribution/en/ [3] Onchocerciasis (river blindness) - disease information. (2018, November 21). Retrieved from https://www.who.int/blindness/partnerships/onchocerciasis_disease_information/en/ [4] Parasites - Onchocerciasis (also known as River Blindness). (2015, August 10). Retrieved from Figure 5: A water source located in Western Kenya https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/onchocerciasis/ used by both humans and domestic animals [5] Robertson, G. (2017, December 12). The billionth treatment for river blindness – photo essay. Retrieved from Figure 2: Distribution of Onchocerciasis Figure 4: Administration of preventative treatments https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/dec/12/the-billionth-treatment-for-river-blindness-photo- essay