What is River Blindness?
River blindness (onchocerciasis) is a worm infection that may lead to irreversible blindness.
What Causes River Blindness?
- Parasitic worms are transmitted to humans through the bite of the simulium fly (also called black fly) and migrate into the eye where they destroy the optic nerve.
- As the simulium fly predominantly breeds in rivers in West and Central Africa, living near the contaminated rivers increases the risk of contracting the disease.
What Cures River Blindness?
While the infection can be treated, the blindness, once occurred, is irrevocable.
Treatment:
Treatment:
- The medicinal agent Ivermectin is used to kill the offspring of adult worms and to slow down the reproduction rate, thus resulting in fewer worms in the eyes.
