ArticleBMC infectious diseases2026
Comorbidities of onchocerciasis and non-communicable diseases, and determinants of continued transmission in Bafut Health District, Cameroon.
Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDespite decades of mass Ivermectin distribution, onchocerciasis transmission persists in Cameroon. Comorbidities with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and gaps in treatment uptake may contribute to the sustained transmission of this disease. This study assessed the prevalence of onchocerciasis, its comorbidity with selected NCDs, and determinants of continued transmission in Bafut Health District, Cameroon.
methodsA community-based cross-sectional study with health facility-based recruitment was conducted from June to July 2024 among 282 adults aged 30 years or older who had resided in Bafut for at least 5 years. Data on sociodemographic, NCD history, onchocerciasis knowledge, and ivermectin uptake were collected using a structured questionnaire. Laboratory investigations included skin snip microscopy, nodule palpation, blood pressure measurement, and venous blood tests for diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. The relationship between categorical variables was analysed using the Chi-square test and logistic regression at the 5% significance level.
resultsOf the 282 participants examined, 43 (15.2%) had palpable nodules, 17 (6.0%) were positive on skin snip for Onchocerca volvulus, and 6 (2.1%) had both palpable nodules and positive skin snip results. Onchocerciasis infection showed significant associations with sex, age group, marital status, and educational level (p < 0.05). Hypertension (27.8%) and rheumatoid arthritis (25.9%) were the most common comorbidities among infected individuals. Ivermectin uptake was high, with 94.3% of participants reporting that they had ever taken ivermectin at least once during previous community-directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTI) rounds. In comparison, a small proportion (5.7%) declined due to illness or blurred vision. Participants with tertiary education had approximately five times higher odds of taking ivermectin compared to those with no formal education (aOR = 4.62, 95% CI: 1.18-18.12, p = 0.028). Similarly, individuals who had lived in the community for more than 10 years had five times higher odds of adhering to ivermectin treatment than recent residents (aOR = 5.03, 95% CI: 1.11-22.8, p = 0.036), primarily due to a refusal of ivermectin, mainly because of side effects. Nearly half of the participants (48.9%) demonstrated poor knowledge of onchocerciasis.
conclusionOnchocerciasis remains present in Bafut, with ongoing transmission. Infection was associated with socio-demographic and behavioral factors. Non-communicable diseases were observed; however, no causal relationship can be inferred. Strengthening ivermectin uptake and health education may improve control. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.