• Login
    • Login
    Advanced Search
    View Item 
    •   AMREF IR Home
    • Research Papers
    • General - GEN
    • General - GEN
    • View Item
    •   AMREF IR Home
    • Research Papers
    • General - GEN
    • General - GEN
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Onchocerca Volvulus is not Detected in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Persons with Onchocerciasis-associated Epilepsy

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    Research article (329.8Kb)
    Publication Date
    2019-12
    Authors
    Hotterbeekxa, An
    Raimonb, Stephen
    Abd-Elfarag, Gasim
    Carter, Jane Y.
    Sebitf, Wilson
    Sulimang, Abozer
    Fodjoa, Joseph Nelson Siewe
    De Witteh, Peter
    Logorai, Makoy Yibi
    Colebundersa, Robert
    Kumar-Singh, Samir
    Show More
    (11 total)
    Type
    Article, Journal
    Item Usage Stats
    10
    views
    4
    downloads
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Citation

    Hotterbeekx, A., Raimon, S., Abd-Elfarag, G., Carter, J. Y., Sebit, W., Suliman, A., Siewe Fodjo, J. N., De Witte, P., Logora, M. Y., Colebunders, R., & Kumar-Singh, S. (2020). Onchocerca volvulus is not detected in the cerebrospinal fluid of persons with onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy. International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases, 91, 119–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2019.11.029

    Abstract/Overview

    Objectives: Epidemiological evidence links onchocerciasis with the development of epilepsy. The aim of this study was to detect Onchocerca volvulus microfilariae or its bacterial endosymbiont, Wolbachia, in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of persons with onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy (OAE). Methods: Thirteen persons with OAE and O. volvulus skin snip densities of >80 microfilariae were recruited in Maridi County (South Sudan) and their CSF obtained. Cytospin centrifuged preparations of CSF were examined by light microscopy for the presence of O. volvulus microfilariae. DNA was extracted from CSF to detect O. volvulus (O-150 repeat) by quantitative real-time PCR, and Wolbachia (FtsZ gene) by standard PCR. To further investigate whether CSF from onchocerciasis-infected participants could induce seizures, 3- and 7-day old zebrafish larvae were injected with the CSF intracardially and intraperitoneally, respectively. For other zebrafish larvae, CSF was added directly to the larval medium. Results: No microfilariae, parasite DNA, or Wolbachia DNA were detected in any of the CSF samples by light microscopy or PCR. All zebrafish survived the procedures and none developed seizures. Conclusions: The absence of O. volvulus in the CSF suggests that OAE is likely not caused by direct parasite invasion into the central nervous system, but by another phenomenon triggered by O. volvulus infection.

    Subject/Keywords
    Autoimmunity; Disabilities; Microfilariae; Nodding syndrome; Onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy; Seizures; South Sudan
    Further Details

    © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Society for Infectious Diseases. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

    Publisher
    Elsevier
    Permalink
    https://repository.amref.ac.ke/handle/123456789/796
    Collections
    • General - GEN [355]

    Amref International University. All rights reserved | Copyright © 2021 
    Contact Us | Send Feedback

     

     

    Quick Links
    Amref International UniversityAmref Health AfricaKLISC

    Browse

    All of AMREF IRCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsTypeThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsType

    My Account

    LoginRegister

    Statistics

    View Usage Statistics

    Amref International University. All rights reserved | Copyright © 2021 
    Contact Us | Send Feedback