Alternative Names & Classifications:
Onchocerciasis (CLINICAL), River Blindness (CLINICAL)
Description
Adult worms reside in subcutaneous nodules where they produce thousands of microfilariae that migrate relentlessly through the skin and eyes. When these microfilariae die, they release Wolbachia endobacteria that trigger intense, blinding inflammatory responses. It primarily devastates rural agricultural communities located near fast-flowing rivers in sub-Saharan Africa.