Version 1
: Received: 26 December 2022 / Approved: 27 December 2022 / Online: 27 December 2022 (09:20:31 CET)
How to cite:
Amaral, L.; Bhwana, D.; Mhina, A.D.; Mmbando, B.; Colebunders, A.R. Nodding Syndrome, a Case-control Study in Mahenge, Tanzania: Onchocerca volvulus and not Mansonella perstans as Risk Factor. Preprints2022, 2022120515. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202212.0515.v1
Amaral, L.; Bhwana, D.; Mhina, A.D.; Mmbando, B.; Colebunders, A.R. Nodding Syndrome, a Case-control Study in Mahenge, Tanzania: Onchocerca volvulus and not Mansonella perstans as Risk Factor. Preprints 2022, 2022120515. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202212.0515.v1
Amaral, L.; Bhwana, D.; Mhina, A.D.; Mmbando, B.; Colebunders, A.R. Nodding Syndrome, a Case-control Study in Mahenge, Tanzania: Onchocerca volvulus and not Mansonella perstans as Risk Factor. Preprints2022, 2022120515. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202212.0515.v1
APA Style
Amaral, L., Bhwana, D., Mhina, A.D., Mmbando, B., & Colebunders, A.R. (2022). Nodding Syndrome, a Case-control Study in Mahenge, Tanzania: <em>Onchocerca volvulus </em>and not <em>Mansonella </em><em>perstans</em> as Risk Factor. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202212.0515.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Amaral, L., Bruno Mmbando and And Robert Colebunders. 2022 "Nodding Syndrome, a Case-control Study in Mahenge, Tanzania: <em>Onchocerca volvulus </em>and not <em>Mansonella </em><em>perstans</em> as Risk Factor" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202212.0515.v1
Abstract
In South Sudan, three case-control studies found a positive association between Nodding Syn-drome (NS) and a Mansonella perstans infection. To investigate whether M. perstans could play the primary and sole causal role in the development of NS, we examined blood films of persons with and without epilepsy in rural villages affected by NS in Mahenge, Tanzania, to identify M. perstans infections. Study participants were also examined for onchocercal nodules and skin lesions and tested for the presence of anti-O. volvulus antibodies (Ov16 ELISA). One hundred and thirteen epilepsy cases and 132 controls were enrolled, with a mean age of 28.3 years (interquartile range 22 – 34 years); 125 (51%) were females. Of the persons with epilepsy, 43 (38.1%) met the probable NS criteria. M. perstans infection was absent in all participants, but Ov16 prevalence and oncho-cerciasis-associated skin manifestations were positively associated with epilepsy, including probable NS. Onchocercal nodules in the mothers of cases were also positively associated with epilepsy. In conclusion, in contrast with O. volvulus, M. perstans is likely not endemic in Mahenge and therefore cannot be a co-factor for NS in the area. Hence, this filaria cannot be the primary and sole causal factor in the development of NS.
Keywords
Mansonella perstans; onchocerciasis; nodding syndrome; epilepsy; Tanzania
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Immunology and Microbiology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
