Onchocerca volvulus
- Microfilariae are transmitted by black flies.
- In the host, adults become encapsulated in deep subcutaneous nodules.
- Larval offspring escape the nodules and migrate to other body tissues.
- Itching is common.
- Lymphatic flow can be obstructed by the worms.
– As a result of lymphatic obstruction, swellings often develop in the inguinal and femoral regions; due to their location, the swellings produce a condition known as
"hanging groin."
Parasitized by Wolbachia* bacteria; when the worms die, the bacteria are released in the human host.
Microfilariae and Wolbachia bacteria can cause various ocular infections and lead to blindness; this is often called "River blindness" because the parasites and vector are associated with rivers and streams.
–
Onchocerca is a significant cause of blindness worldwide, and is most common in areas of Africa.
"CDC - DPDx - Onchocerciasis," December 14, 2017. https://www.cdc.gov/dpdx/onchocerciasis/index.html.
Niamba, Pascal, Alain Gaulier, and Alain Taïeb. "Hanging Groin and Persistent Pruritus in a Patient from Burkina Faso." International Journal of Dermatology 46, no. 5 (May 1, 2007): 485–86. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-4632.2007.03100.x.
