Parasitologic survey of onchocerciasis (river blindness) in Babana District, Kwara State, Nigeria.

This study, made between November 1982 and January 1983 to ascertain the prevalence of onchocerciasis in the Babana District of Borgu Local Government Area, Kwara State, Nigeria, showed that 483 (48.6%) of the 993 subjects skin-snipped in 12 communities were infected. The infection rate was significantly higher (P less than 0.001) for males (57.7%) than for females (37.0%), for subjects above 10 years of age (54.0%) than for those who were younger (10.7%), and for the Fulanis (63.8%) than for the Bokos (48.3%). Although various indications suggest that this district has a history of long-standing onchocerciasis, the knowledge of river blindness and its association with blackflies was poor throughout the district and, except for two teachers, no other subjects had ever received onchocercal chemotherapy. These factors, apparently, account for the frequent occurrence and severity of various clinical manifestations and complications of onchocerciasis identified in the district.