Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
4
pubmed:dateCreated
1996-10-31
pubmed:abstractText
Epidemiological surveys indicate that the prevalence of epilepsy is higher in developing countries than in industrialized countries. Except for neurocystocercosis due to Taenia solium, little is known about possible underlying causes. This article reports the relationship between epilepsy and onchocerciasis in an Onchocerca volvulus endemic area in West Uganda. Individuals complaining of seizures were identified by means of a population census in 12 villages. Active epilepsy was confirmed in 61 of 4743 inhabitants (crude prevalence rate = 1.3%; age-standardized rate = 1.1%). Distribution of epilepsy in the study area was clustered, ranging from a prevalence of 0.2% to 3.4% in different villages. Age-specific prevalence was highest between 10 and 19 years, with a rate of 3.6% for the study are as a whole, and up to 10.0% in villages of high epilepsy prevalence. The prevalence of onchocerciasis in the 10-19-year-old age group was assessed by skin-snip biopsy and ranged from 15% to 85% in different villages. Epilepsy was significantly more frequent in the three villages with the highest levels of O. volvulus endemicity than in other villages (P < 0.0001). Serological testing for T. solium infection was positive in one and borderline in three of 53 epilepsy patients tested. The significant correlation between epilepsy and onchocerciasis did not change when these four patients were excluded from the analysis. These findings suggest a strong association between epilepsy and onchocerciasis in this area. This could have significant implications for the concept of morbidity due to O. volvulus.
pubmed:commentsCorrections
http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/8823957-1473507, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/8823957-2463913, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/8823957-3018970, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/8823957-3292235, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/8823957-3582291, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/8823957-499114, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/8823957-7904037, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/8823957-7909041, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/8823957-804401, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/8823957-8134773, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/8823957-8243352, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/8823957-8490989
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:issn
0042-9686
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
74
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
361-7
pubmed:dateRevised
2009-11-18
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1996
pubmed:articleTitle
The prevalence of epilepsy follows the distribution of onchocerciasis in a west Ugandan focus.
pubmed:affiliation
Division of Tropical Paediatrics, University Children's Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article