ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2020
The Galabat-Metema cross-border onchocerciasis focus: The first coordinated interruption of onchocerciasis transmission in Africa.
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 32 citations in OpenAlex.
- Current Gaps in Survey Design and Analysis for Molecular Xenomonitoring of Vector-Borne Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Systematic Review.Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH · 2025Pooled it
- Elimination of transmission of onchocerciasis (river blindness) with long-term ivermectin mass drug administration with or without vector control in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.The Lancet. Global health · 2024Pooled it
- Evaluating the diagnostic test accuracy of molecular xenomonitoring methods for characterising the community burden of Onchocerciasis.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2021Pooled it
- Defining onchocerciasis transmission zones: integrating operational insights with genomic and ecological advances.International health · 2026Review
- HISTONCHO: A dataset of intervention histories for onchocerciasis control & elimination in sub-Saharan Africa.Scientific data · 2026Article
- Significant gap between Point participation and long‑term treatment adherence: An evaluation of ivermectin MDA in the Kwanware‑Ottou persistent onchocerciasis transmission focus, Wenchi, Ghana.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Article
- Modelling the effects of immigration on the re-introduction of onchocerciasis.Parasites & vectors · 2026Article
- Neglected tropical diseases elimination in Africa: lessons from regional control programmes.Tropical medicine and health · 2025Review
- Genetic structuring and estimation of reproductive adults in Onchocerca volvulus: A genome-wide analysis across hosts and regions.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2025Article
- The Impact of Onchocerciasis Elimination Measures in Africa: A Systematic Review.Tropical medicine and infectious disease · 2024Review
- Persistent transmission of onchocerciasis in Kwanware-Ottou focus in Wenchi health district, Ghana.BMC infectious diseases · 2024Article
- Progress towards elimination of onchocerciasis in the Region du Sud-Ouest of Burkina Faso which was previously subject to a recrudescence event after vector control.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2024Article
- Cytotaxonomic characterization and estimation of migration patterns of onchocerciasis vectors (Simulium damnosum sensu lato) in northwestern Ethiopia based on RADSeq data.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2024Article
- Border malaria: defining the problem to address the challenge of malaria elimination.Malaria journal · 2023Article
- Geospatial modeling of pre-intervention nodule prevalence of Onchocerca volvulus in Ethiopia as an aid to onchocerciasis elimination.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2022Article
- Article
- Capture of high numbers of Simulium vectors can be achieved with Host Decoy Traps to support data acquisition in the onchocerciasis elimination endgame.Acta tropica · 2021Article
- Scaling-Down Mass Ivermectin Treatment for Onchocerciasis Elimination: Modeling the Impact of the Geographical Unit for Decision Making.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2021Article
- Progress towards onchocerciasis elimination in Côte d'Ivoire: A geospatial modelling study.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2021Article
- Elimination ofThe American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2020Article
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Authors and funding
28 authors at 9 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOnchocerciasis transmission across international borders is not uncommon, yet a coordinated cross border stops mass drug administration (MDA) decision has not been documented. METHODS/PRINCIPLE
findingsThe Galabat-Metema focus involves neighboring districts on the border between Sudan and Ethiopia. Mass drug administration (MDA) was provided once and subsequently twice per year in this focus, with twice-per-year beginning in Ethiopia's Metema subfocus in 2016 and in the Sudan's Galabat subfocus in 2008. Ov16 ELISA-based serosurveys were conducted in 6072 children under 10 years of age in the Metema subfocus in 2014, and 3931 in the Galabat in 2015. Between 2014 and 2016, a total of 27,583 vector Simulium damnosum flies from Metema and 9,148 flies from Galabat were tested by pool screen PCR for Onchocerca volvulus O-150 DNA. Only 8 children were Ov16 seropositive (all in the Metema subfocus); all were negative by skin snip PCR. The upper limit of the 95% confidence interval (UCL) for Ov16 seropositive was <0.1% for the overall focus and 0.14 positive fly heads per 2000 (UCL = 0.39/2000). However, an entomological 'hotspot' was detected on the Wudi Gemzu river in Metema district. The hotspot was confirmed when 4 more positive fly pools were found on repeat testing in 2017 (1.04 L3/2000 flies (UCL = 2.26/2000). Information exchange between the two countries led to stopping MDA in a coordinated fashion in 2018, with the exception of the hotspot at Wudi Gemzu, where MDA with ivermectin was increased to every three months to hasten interruption of transmission.
conclusionCoordinated stop MDA decisions were made by Sudan and Ethiopia based on data satisfying the World Health Organization's criteria for interruption of onchocerciasis transmission. Definitions of entomological 'hotspots' and buffer zones around the focus are proposed.
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