Epidemiology of epilepsy and relationship with onchocerciasis prevalence in villages of the Ntui Health District of Cameroon
In: Epilepsy Behav, 2023
academicJournal
Zugriff:
BACKGROUND: A strong association between epilepsy and onchocerciasis endemicity has been reported. We sought to document the epidemiology of epilepsy in onchocerciasis-endemic villages of the Ntui Health District in Cameroon and investigate how this relates to the prevalence of onchocerciasis. METHODS: In March 2022, door-to-door epilepsy surveys were conducted in four villages (Essougli, Nachtigal, Ndjame, and Ndowe). Ivermectin intake during the 2021 session of community-directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTI) was investigated in all participating village residents. Persons with epilepsy (PWE) were identified through a two-step approach: administration of a 5-item epilepsy screening questionnaire followed by clinical confirmation by a neurologist. Epilepsy findings were analyzed together with onchocerciasis epidemiological data previously obtained in the study villages. RESULTS: We surveyed 1663 persons in the four study villages. The 2021 CDTI coverage for all study sites was 50.9%. Overall, 67 PWE were identified (prevalence of 4.0% (IQR: 3.2–5.1) with one new-onset case during the past 12 months (annual incidence of 60.1 per 100,000 persons). The median age of PWE was 32 years (IQR: 25–40), with 41 (61.2%) being females. The majority (78.3%) of PWE met the previously published criteria for onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy (OAE). Persons with a history of nodding seizures were found in all villages and represented 19.4% of the 67 PWE. Epilepsy prevalence was positively correlated with onchocerciasis prevalence (Spearman Rho = 0.949, p = 0.051). Meanwhile, an inverse relationship was observed between distance from the Sanaga river (blackfly breeding site) and the prevalence of both epilepsy and onchocerciasis. CONCLUSION: The high epilepsy prevalence in Ntui appears to be driven by onchocerciasis. It is likely that decades of CDTI have likely contributed to a gradual decrease in epilepsy incidence, as only one new case occurred in the past year. Therefore, more effective elimination measures are urgently ...
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Epidemiology of epilepsy and relationship with onchocerciasis prevalence in villages of the Ntui Health District of Cameroon
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Autor/in / Beteiligte Person: | Ngarka, Leonard ; Fodjo, Joseph Nelson Siewe ; Ambomatei, Calson ; Njamnshi, Wepnyu Yembe ; Njamnshi, Julius Ndi Taryunyu ; Nfor, Leonard N. ; Mengnjo, Michel K. ; Njamnshi, Alfred K. |
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Zeitschrift: | Epilepsy Behav, 2023 |
Veröffentlichung: | 2023 |
Medientyp: | academicJournal |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.yebeh.2023.109184 |
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