Onchocerciasis and Epilepsy: A Matched Case-Control Study in the Central African Republic

• Published in: American journal of epidemiology Vol. 149; no. 6; pp. 565 - 570
• Main Authors: Druet-Cabanac, Michel, Preux, Pierre-Marie, Bouteille, Bernard, Bernet-Bernady, Patricia, Dunand, Jean, Hopkins, Adrian, Yaya, Georges, Tabo, André, Sartoris, Chiara, Macharia, Waruingi, Dumas, Michel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cary, NC Oxford University Press 15-03-1999
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Causality; Central African Republic - epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diseases caused by nematodes; epilepsy; Epilepsy - epidemiology; Epilepsy - etiology; Female; Filariases; Helminthic diseases; Humans; Incidence; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; microfilarial load; Miscellaneous; onchocerciasis; Onchocerciasis - complications; Onchocerciasis - epidemiology; Onchocercosis; Parasitic diseases; Population; Prevention and actions; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Tropical medicine; Africa; Central African Republic; Human; Skin disease; Nervous system diseases; Prevalence; Epilepsy; Parasitosis; Case control study; Helminthiasis; Epidemiology; Onchocerciasis; Cerebral disorder; Infection; Eye disease; Association; Nematode disease; Central nervous system disease; Filariosis; Public health; Measurement; Middle Africa; Africa; Central Nervous System Effects > determinants; Biology; French Speaking Africa; Research Methodology; Diseases; Central Nervous System; Research Report; Developing Countries; Physiology; Africa South Of The Sahara; Central African Republic; Parasitic Diseases
• ISSN: 0002-9262; 1476-6256
• DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a009853

The occurrence of epileptic seizures during onchocercal infestation has been suspected. Epidemiologic studies are necessary to confirm the relation between onchocerciasis and epilepsy. A matched case-control study was conducted in dispensaries of three northwestern towns of the Central African Republic. Each epileptic case was matched against two nonepileptic controls on the six criteria of sex, age (±5 years), residence, treatment with ivermectin, date of last ivermectin dose, and the number of ivermectin doses. Onchocerciasis was defined as at least one microfilaria observed in iliac crest skin snip biopsy. A total of 561 subjects (187 cases and 374 controls) were included in the study. Of the epileptics, 39.6% had onchocerciasis, as did 35.8% of the controls. The mean dermal microfilarial load was 26 microfilariae per mg of skin (standard deviation, 42) in the epileptics and 24 microfilariae per mg of skin (standard deviation, 48) in the controls. This matched case-control study found some relation (odds ratio = 1.21, 95% confidence interval 0.81–1.80), although it was nonstatistically significant. Am J Epidemiol 1999; 149: 565–70.