Onchocerciasis (River Blindness): Onchocerciasis is caused by the filarial worm Onchocerca volvulus, which is transmitted to humans through the bites of black flies of the genus Simulium. The larvae of the worm migrate to the skin and eyes, leading to severe itching, skin lesions, and visual impairment, including blindness in some cases. Onchocerciasis is endemic in certain regions of Africa, Latin America, and Yemen.
Dermatitis: Onchocerciasis can cause severe itching and dermatitis due to the presence of microfilariae in the skin. This itching can be intense and persistent, leading to skin damage, ulceration, and secondary bacterial infections.
Ocular Lesions: Onchocerciasis can lead to various ocular manifestations, including punctate keratitis (inflammation of the cornea), sclerosing keratitis (scarring of the cornea), uveitis (inflammation of the uvea), and ultimately, optic nerve damage and blindness. These ocular complications can significantly impact the quality of life and productivity of affected individuals.
Subcutaneous Nodules: Onchocerciasis can cause the formation of subcutaneous nodules, which are localized swellings under the skin containing adult worms and inflammatory tissue. These nodules are typically painless but can cause discomfort and cosmetic concerns.
Systemic Symptoms: In addition to dermatological and ocular manifestations, onchocerciasis can cause systemic symptoms such as fever, lymphadenopathy (enlargement of lymph nodes), and general malaise.
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Different labs use different software to read the sample. See this post for more details.
One lab may say you have none, another may say you have a lot! - This may be solely due to the software they are using to estimate.
We deem lab specific values using values from the KM method for each specific lab to be the most reliable.
Lab | Frequency | UD-Low | UD-High | KM Low | KM High | Lab Low | Lab High | Mean | Median | Standard Deviation | Box Plot Low | Box Plot High | KM Percentile Low | KM Percentile High |
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Other Labs | 0.09 | 1 | 13810 | 0 | 26044 | 6905.5 | 6906 | 9764.4 | 1 | 13810 | 25 %ile | 50 %ile |
Source of Ranges | Low Boundary | High Boundary | Low Boundary %age | High Boundary %age |
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Lab | Frequency Seen | Average | Standard Deviation | Sample Count | Lab Samples |
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es-xenogene | 6.25 % | 0.691 % | 0.976 % | 2.0 | 32 |
Thorne | 1.73 % | 0.003 % | 0.001 % | 5.0 | 289 |
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