ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2017
High prevalence of epilepsy in onchocerciasis endemic regions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 51 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
51 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 74 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prevalence, incidence, and trends of epilepsy among children and adolescents in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2024Pooled it
- A systematic review and an individual patient data meta-analysis of ivermectin use in children weighing less than fifteen kilograms: Is it time to reconsider the current contraindication?PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2021Pooled it
- Meta-analysis of epilepsy prevalence in West Africa and its relationship with onchocerciasis endemicity and control.International health · 2020Pooled it
- Ivermectin as an adjuvant to anti-epileptic treatment in persons with onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy: A randomized proof-of-concept clinical trial.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2020Trial
- Declining Onchocerca volvulus transmission despite limited ivermectin delivery in the Kakoi-Koda focus, Ituri, Democratic Republic of the Congo: An epidemiological, entomological and landscape evidence synthesis.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Article
- Nodding Syndrome: The Need to Strengthen Epilepsy Care in Onchocerciasis-Endemic Areas and to Investigate the Pathogenesis of Onchocerciasis-Associated Epilepsy.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2026Article
- Article
- Onchocerciasis overview: pathogenesis, clinical spectrum, and therapeutic challenges of a neglected tropical disease.Frontiers in parasitology · 2026Review
- Pregnant Women, a Potential Reservoir for Onchocerca volvulus? A Cross Sectional Study in Maridi County, South Sudan.Journal of epidemiology and global health · 2025Article
- Cameroonian blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae) harbour a plethora of RNA viruses.Virus evolution · 2025Article
- Epidemiology of epilepsy in Wulu County, an onchocerciasis-endemic area in South Sudan.Heliyon · 2024Article
- Beyond Tradition: Exploring Cutting-Edge Approaches for Accurate Diagnosis of Human Filariasis.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Impact of annual community-directed treatment with ivermectin on the incidence of epilepsy in Mvolo, a two-year prospective study.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2024Article
- Integration of onchocerciasis morbidity management and disability prevention services in the healthcare system in Tanzania: a call for action and recommendations.Tropical diseases, travel medicine and vaccines · 2024Article
- Prevalence of epilepsy in the onchocerciasis endemic middle belt of Ghana after 27 years of mass drug administration with ivermectin.Infectious diseases of poverty · 2023Article
- Epilepsy and nodding syndrome in association with an Onchocerca volvulus infection drive distinct immune profile patterns.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2023Article
- Status of epilepsy in the tropics: An overlooked perspective.Epilepsia open · 2023Review
- Identification of the onchocerciasis vector in the Kakoi-Koda focus of the Democratic Republic of Congo.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2022Article
- Surveillance for Onchocerciasis-Associated Epilepsy and OV16 IgG4 Testing of Children 6-10 Years Old Should Be Used to Identify Areas Where Onchocerciasis Elimination Programs Need Strengthening.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- The burden of skin disease and eye disease due to onchocerciasis in countries formerly under the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control mandate for 1990, 2020, and 2030.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
13 authors at 7 institutions in 5 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAn increased prevalence of epilepsy has been reported in many onchocerciasis endemic areas. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of epilepsy in onchocerciasis endemic areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and investigate whether a higher annual intake of Ivermectin was associated with a lower prevalence of epilepsy. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPLE
findingsBetween July 2014 and February 2016, house-to-house epilepsy prevalence surveys were carried out in areas with a high level of onchocerciasis endemicity: 3 localities in the Bas-Uele, 24 in the Tshopo and 21 in the Ituri province. Ivermectin uptake was recorded for every household member. This database allowed a matched case-control pair subset to be created that enabled putative risk factors for epilepsy to be tested using univariate logistic regression models. Risk factors relating to onchocerciasis were tested using a multivariate random effects model. To identify presence of clusters of epilepsy cases, the Kulldorff's scan statistic was used. Of 12, 408 people examined in the different health areas 407 (3.3%) were found to have a history of epilepsy. A high prevalence of epilepsy was observed in health areas in the 3 provinces: 6.8-8.5% in Bas-Uele, 0.8-7.4% in Tshopo and 3.6-6.2% in Ituri. Median age of epilepsy onset was 9 years, and the modal age 12 years. The case control analysis demonstrated that before the appearance of epilepsy, compared to the same life period in controls, persons with epilepsy were around two times less likely (OR: 0.52; 95%CI: (0.28, 0.98)) to have taken Ivermectin than controls. After the appearance of epilepsy, there was no difference of Ivermectin intake between cases and controls. Only in Ituri, a significant cluster (p-value = 0.0001) was identified located around the Draju sample site area.
conclusionsThe prevalence of epilepsy in health areas in onchocerciasis endemic regions in the DRC was 2-10 times higher than in non-onchocerciasis endemic regions in Africa. Our data suggests that Ivermectin protects against epilepsy in an onchocerciasis endemic region. However, a prospective population based intervention study is needed to confirm this.
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