CJO - Abstract - Impact of parental onchocerciasis and intensity of transmission on development and persistence of <em>Onchocerca volvulus</em> infection in offspring: an 18 year follow-up study

Cambridge Journals Online

Cambridge Journals Online
Skip to content
  • Volume 127
  • Issue 04 - Oct 2003
  • Add to Basket £30.00 / $45.00
  • Request Permissions
  • Cited by Articles (CrossRef)
  • Cited by Articles (Google Scholar)
  • Citation Alert
  • Go to Next Abstract in TOC
  • Go to Previous Abstract in TOC
  • Blog this Article close
    Copy and paste this code to insert a reference to this article in your blog or online community profile:

    Highlight All
    The code will display like this:
    Impact of parental onchocerciasis and intensity of transmission on development and persistence of Onchocerca volvulus infection in offspring: an 18 year follow-up study
    A. K. KIRCH, H. P. DUERR, B. BOATIN, W. S. ALLEY, W. H. HOFFMANN, H. SCHULZ-KEY and P. T. SOBOSLAY (2003).
    Parasitology, Volume 127, Issue 04, October 2003 pp 327-335 http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?aid=182291

    Blog this Article

Parasitology (2003), 127 : 327-335 Cambridge University Press
Copyright © 2003 Cambridge University Press
doi:10.1017/S0031182003003834 (About doi)
Published online by Cambridge University Press 17 Oct 2003
 
Parasitology (2003), 127:4:327-335 Cambridge University Press
Copyright © 2003 Cambridge University Press
doi:10.1017/S0031182003003834

Impact of parental onchocerciasis and intensity of transmission on development and persistence of Onchocerca volvulus infection in offspring: an 18 year follow-up study

A. K. KIRCH a1, H. P. DUERR a2, B. BOATIN a3, W. S. ALLEY a3, W. H. HOFFMANN a1, H. SCHULZ-KEY a1 and P. T. SOBOSLAY a1c1
a1 Institute for Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Germany
a2 Department of Medical Biometry, University of Tübingen, Germany
a3 Onchocerciasis Control Programme, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Article author query
kirch a   PubMedGoogle Scholar 
duerr h   PubMedGoogle Scholar 
boatin b   PubMedGoogle Scholar 
alley w   PubMedGoogle Scholar 
hoffmann w   PubMedGoogle Scholar 
schulz-key h   PubMedGoogle Scholar 
soboslay p   PubMedGoogle Scholar 

Abstract

This study analysed the impact and the extent by which parental Onchocerca volvulus infection, intensity of transmission of O. volvulus infective 3rd-stage larvae (L3) and anthropometric factors may influence the acquisition, development and persistence of O. volvulus infection in offspring. A total of 15 290 individuals in 3939 families with 9640 children were surveyed for microfilariae of O. volvulus, and prevalence and level of O. volvulus infection in children aged 0 to 20 years from infected and non-infected parents were followed longitudinally for 18 years. Children from O. volvulus-infected mothers had not only a substantially higher risk to become infected; they also acquired infection earlier in life and developed higher infection levels. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that maternal O. volvulus infection and children's age are the predominant predictors for patent O. volvulus infection, while the intensity of transmission, measured by the annual transmission potential (ATP) of O. volvulus L3, was less decisive. Longitudinal follow up of children showed that during vector control activities by the Onchocerciasis Control Programme (OCP) and in low-level transmission areas, infection persisted at higher levels in children from O. volvulus-positive mothers. In summary, the dominant risk factor for children to become infected is maternal onchocerciasis, and also age-associated factors will strongly impact on the development of patent O. volvulus infection in offspring.

(Received October 21 2002)
(Revised April 11 2003)
(Accepted April 27 2003)


Key Words: Onchocerca volvulus; parental onchocerciasis; transmission intensity; age; O. volvulus infection in children.

Correspondence:
c1 Institute for Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Wilhelmstrasse 27, 72074 Tübingen, Germany. Tel: +49 7071 2980230. Fax: +49 7071 295996. E-mail: peter.soboslay@uni-tuebingen.de

back to top
Cambridge University Press