Loa loa Microfilariae in Skin Snips: Consequences for Onchocerciasis Monitoring and Evaluation in L. loa-Endemic Areas

Clin Infect Dis. 2019 Oct 15;69(9):1628-1630. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciz172.

Abstract

The specificity of skin snips for onchocerciasis diagnoses is considered to be almost 100%. Our molecular methods revealed that microfilariae emerging from skin snips collected from highly microfilaremic Loa loa-infected individuals were largely misidentified as Onchocerca volvulus. This has important implications for onchocerciasis diagnostic testing in Loa-endemic areas.

Keywords: Loa loa; Onchocerca volvulus; diagnosis; filariasis; skin snip.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Animals
  • Child
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Loa / pathogenicity*
  • Loiasis / metabolism
  • Loiasis / parasitology*
  • Male
  • Microfilariae / metabolism
  • Microfilariae / parasitology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Onchocerca volvulus / pathogenicity
  • Onchocerciasis / epidemiology*
  • Onchocerciasis / metabolism
  • Young Adult