ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2011
The geographic distribution of Loa loa in Africa: results of large-scale implementation of the Rapid Assessment Procedure for Loiasis (RAPLOA).
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT02974049 (Alternative Chemotherapies for Lymphatic Filariasis), which is not on this map. Cited by 166 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Alternative Chemotherapies for Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) Treatment and Elimination in Africa [Cote d'Ivoire]
Who cites it
166 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 292 citations in OpenAlex.
- Preclinical animal models for onchocerciasis and loiasis: A systematic review of applications in drug screening.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Pooled it
- Design and analysis of randomized clinical trials for onchocerciasis, loiasis and mansonellosis: A systematic review.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Pooled it
- Guideline
- Modelling the distribution and transmission intensity of lymphatic filariasis in sub-Saharan Africa prior to scaling up interventions: integrated use of geostatistical and mathematical modelling.Parasites & vectors · 2015Pooled it
- Safety and efficacy of 3- and 5-day regimens of levamisole in loiasis: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial.Nature communications · 2025Trial
- Efficacy, safety, and tolerability of albendazole and ivermectin based regimens for the treatment of microfilaraemic loiasis in adult patients in Gabon: A randomized controlled assessor blinded clinical trial.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2023Trial
- Safety and Efficacy of Levamisole in Loiasis: A Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Double-blind Clinical Trial.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2022Trial
- The impact of Loa loa microfilaraemia on research subject retention during a whole sporozoite malaria vaccine trial in Equatorial Guinea.Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · 2022Trial
- Comparison of different drug regimens for the treatment of loiasis-A TropNet retrospective study.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2018Trial
- Macrofilaricidal Efficacy of Repeated Doses of Ivermectin for the Treatment of River Blindness.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2017Trial
- Comparison of Doxycycline, Minocycline, Doxycycline plus Albendazole and Albendazole Alone in Their Efficacy against Onchocerciasis in a Randomized, Open-Label, Pilot Trial.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2017Trial
- Effect of Two or Six Doses 800 mg of Albendazole Every Two Months on Loa loa Microfilaraemia: A Double Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2016Trial
- Epidemiology of helminth infections in adults in rural rainforest communities of the Nkam-Wouri River Basin, Littoral Region of Cameroon: Implications for NTDs elimination using preventive chemotherapies.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Article
- Molecular characterization of filarial infections and their associated risk factors in rural community of Southeastern Gabon.Parasite epidemiology and control · 2026Article
- Molecular Epidemiology of Skin-Dwelling Filariae and Risk Factors for Mansonella streptocerca Infection, Gabon.Emerging infectious diseases · 2026Article
- HISTONCHO: A dataset of intervention histories for onchocerciasis control & elimination in sub-Saharan Africa.Scientific data · 2026Article
- Ocular loiasis in a pediatric patient: description of a case without microfilaremia.BMC ophthalmology · 2026Article
- Neglected tropical diseases elimination in Africa: lessons from regional control programmes.Tropical medicine and health · 2025Review
- Plasma Proteomics Reveals Distinct Signatures in Occult and Microfilaremic Loa loa Infections.The Journal of infectious diseases · 2025Article
- Disability and quality of life assessment using WHODAS-12 items 2.0 and EQ-5D-5L in a rural area endemic for loiasis in the Republic of Congo: A population-based cross-sectional study (the MorLo project).PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2025Article
106 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundLoiasis is a major obstacle to ivermectin treatment for onchocerciasis control and lymphatic filariasis elimination in central Africa. In communities with a high level of loiasis endemicity, there is a significant risk of severe adverse reactions to ivermectin treatment. Information on the geographic distribution of loiasis in Africa is urgently needed but available information is limited. The African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) undertook large scale mapping of loiasis in 11 potentially endemic countries using a rapid assessment procedure for loiasis (RAPLOA) that uses a simple questionnaire on the history of eye worm. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL
findingsRAPLOA surveys were done in a spatial sample of 4798 villages covering an area of 2500×3000 km centred on the heartland of loiasis in Africa. The surveys showed high risk levels of loiasis in 10 countries where an estimated 14.4 million people live in high risk areas. There was a strong spatial correlation among RAPLOA data, and kriging was used to produce spatially smoothed contour maps of the interpolated prevalence of eye worm and the predictive probability that the prevalence exceeds 40%. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The contour map of eye worm prevalence provides the first global map of loiasis based on actual survey data. It shows a clear distribution with two zones of hyper endemicity, large areas that are free of loiasis and several borderline or intermediate zones. The surveys detected several previously unknown hyperendemic foci, clarified the distribution of loiasis in the Central African Republic and large parts of the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo for which hardly any information was available, and confirmed known loiasis foci. The new maps of the prevalence of eye worm and the probability that the prevalence exceeds the risk threshold of 40% provide critical information for ivermectin treatment programs among millions of people in Africa.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.