ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2025
Incidence of loiasis clinical manifestations in a rural area of the Republic of Congo: Results from a longitudinal prospective study (the MorLo project).
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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3 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Laboratory diagnosis of loiasis to support individual patient management: A systematic review.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
- Understanding Calabar swellings: Assessing subcutaneous loiasis using ultrasound.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Article
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9 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundLoiasis is endemic in Central Africa. Despite evidence of clinical complications and increased mortality, it remains excluded from the list of neglected tropical diseases. The main manifestations are Calabar swellings (CS), Eyeworm (EW) and non-specific general symptoms such arthralgia and pruritus. We calculated incidence rates for clinical manifestations of loiasis from a 13-month study on clinical manifestations in 991 individuals living in Loa loa-endemic areas in the Republic of Congo. METHODOLOGY: From September 2022 to September 2023, community health workers collected weekly symptoms from cohort participants. Detailed data on symptom duration, intensity, associated pruritus, and impact on sleep were recorded. Laboratory procedures included thick blood smear for L. loa microfilaremia measurement, creatininemia measurement and eosinophilia counts. We used multiple failure analysis and frailty models to calculate incidence rates of EW, CS, arthralgia, pruritus and absence from work (AfW) and to analyses factors associated with increased incidence of each symptom. The population-attributable fractions (PAFs) associated with loiasis were also calculated for pruritus, AfW and arthralgia. PRINCIPAL
findingsAmong the studied manifestations, arthralgia had the highest incidence rate at 555.2 cases per 1000 Person-Year (PY), followed by pruritus (332.3 cases/1000 PY), AfW (298.6/1000 PY), EW (266.4/1000 PY), and CS (213.8/1000 PY). Notably, the incidence rates of CS, pruritus, arthralgia, and AfW were statistically significantly higher in the subgroup of individuals who experienced at least one episode of EW during the follow-up period. EW occurrence is more frequent when microfilaremia is present. The PAFs of AfW, pruritus and arthralgia, associated with loiasis was 18.0% [07.3-27.6], 20.8% [11.6-29.1] and 12.1% [3.1-20.1], respectively. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first study to provide incidence rates for the clinical manifestations of loiasis. These estimates are crucial for assessing the burden of loiasis. The findings highlight the disease's impact on quality of life.
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