What is the shape of Onchocerca volvulus?

Microfilariae of Onchocerca volvulus in tissue. The tail tapers to a point and is often sharply bent.

What is the meaning of Onchocerca volvulus?

Onchocerca volvulus is a filarial (arthropod-borne) nematode (roundworm) that causes onchocerciasis (river blindness), and is the second-leading cause of blindness due to infection worldwide after trachoma.

What is Onchocerca volvulus common name?

Onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, is a disease caused by infection with the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus….

Onchocerciasis
Pronunciation	/ˌɒŋkoʊsɜːrˈsaɪəsɪs, -ˈkaɪ-/
Specialty	Infectious disease
Symptoms	Itching, bumps under the skin, blindness
Causes	Onchocerca volvulus spread by a black fly

What is the morphology of loa loa?

Loa loa is cylindrical, has a cuticle with three main outer layers made of collagen and other compounds. The outer layers are non-cellular and are secreted by the epidermis. The cuticle layer protects the nematodes so they can invade the digestive tracts of animals.

What is the vector of Onchocerca volvulus?

The vectors of Onchocerca volvulus are mainly Simulium damnosum complex blackflies, but a species of the Simulium neavei group may also contribute to transmission in some areas. The only detailed studies of parasite transmission in Mahenge were conducted in the late 1960s.

What kind of organism is Onchocerca volvulus?

Onchocerca volvulus is a filarial parasite, also endemic in West Africa, particularly in Cameroon, Burkina Faso, and Ghana, as well as in Central and South America, with foci in southern Arabia and Yemen. It is transmitted by a variety of black flies of the genus Simulium, usually found in the vicinity of rivers.

What is the pathology of Onchocerca volvulus?

Onchocerciasis is a filarial nematode infection with Onchocerca volvulus. Blackflies (Simulium species) are responsible for transmission. Symptoms are subcutaneous nodules, pruritus, dermatitis, adenopathy, atrophy and scarring of skin, and eye lesions that may lead to blindness.

What is the definitive host of Onchocerca volvulus?

Onchocerca volvulus has a complex life cycle involving a definitive and intermediate host. The only natural definitive host is humans. The intermediate host is a blackfly in the genus Simulium.

What is the infective stage of Onchocerca volvulus?

The infective larvae of Onchocerca (stage L3) enter the body through the wound made by the bite of its host fly. The larvae then move to the subcutaneous tissues where they become encapsulated within nodules and mature into adults in approximately one year (cross section of worms in a subcutaneous nodule right).

What phylum is Onchocerca volvulus?

RoundwormsOnchocerca volvulus / Phylum

What is the reservoir of Onchocerca volvulus?

Onchocerciasis (or river blindness) is a parasitic disease cause by the filarial worm, Onchocerca volvulus. Man is the only known animal reservoir. The vector is a small black fly of the Simulium species.

What is Onchocerca volvulus?

Onchocerca volvulus it is a roundworm that belongs to the phylum Nematoda. It is of parasitic life, being the human being its definitive host.

How long does it take for Onchocerca volvulus larvae to appear?

These larvae can be found on the skin for an average of 10-12 months after the parasite has entered humans. The disease caused by the parasite Onchocerca volvulus It is known by the name of onchocerciasis. It is also known by other names such as river blindness, onchocerciasis, and Robles disease, among other names.

What is the treatment for Onchocerca volvulus?

Blood tests are not reliable to accurately diagnose infection with Onchocerca volvulus, since there are other filarial-type parasites that can generate similar blood disorders. Treatment of onchocerciasis is long-lasting. The medication currently prescribed to treat this infection is an anthelmintic known as ivermectin.

What is the life cycle of Onchocerca?

The posterior end or tail is curved hence the name Onchocerca. The adult worms of either or different sexes are usually coiled together in the subcutaneous nodules. The intestinal cells are filled with concentric spherules and the intestinal lumen is reduced. The worms usually live 10 or more years in their host.