Epilepsy Research
Volume 30, Issue 3 , Pages 247-251 , May 1998

High incidence of epilepsy related to onchocerciasis in West Uganda

  • Christoph Kaiser

      Affiliations

    • Division of Tropical Pediatrics, University Children’s Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 150, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Present address: Gegenbaur Str. 6, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany. Fax: +49 6221 470922.
    • ,
  • George Asaba

      Affiliations

    • Basic Health Services Kabarole District, P.O. Box 27, Fort Portal, Uganda
    • ,
  • Michael Leichsenring

      Affiliations

    • Division of Tropical Pediatrics, University Children’s Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 150, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
    • ,
  • Geoffrey Kabagambe

      Affiliations

    • Basic Health Services Kabarole District, P.O. Box 27, Fort Portal, Uganda

Received 19 September 1997 ,Revised 4 January 1998 ,Accepted 18 January 1998.

References 

  1. Commission on Classification and Terminology of the International League Against Epilepsy, Proposal for revised clinical and electroencephalographic classification of epileptic seizures, 1981. Epilepsia 22, 489–501.
  2. De Bittencourt PRM, Ademolekum B, Bharucha N, Bharucha N, Carpio A, Cossı́o OH, et al. Epilepsy in the tropics: Epidemiology, socioeconomic risk factors, and etiology. Epilepsia. 1996;37:1121–1127
  3. Duke BOL, Vincelette J, Moore PJ. Microfilariae in the cerebrospinal fluid, and neurological complications, during treatment of onchocerciasis with diethyl-carbamazine. Tropenmed. Parasitol. 1976;27:123–132
  4. Fischer P, Bamuhiga J, Kilian AHD, Büttner DW. Strain differentiation of Onchocerca volvulus from Uganda using DNA probes. Parasitology. 1996;112:401–408
  5. Goodridge DMG, Shorvon SD. Epileptic seizures in a population of 6000. Br. Med. J. 1983;287:641–644
  6. Granieri E, Rosati G, Tola R, Pavoni M, Paolino E, Monetti VC. A descriptive study of epilepsy in the district of Copparo Italy, 1964–1978. Epilepsia. 1983;24:502–514
  7. Hauser WA, Annegers JF, Kurland LT. Prevalence of epilepsy in Rochester, Minnesota: 1940–1980. Epilepsia. 1991;32:429–445
  8. Hauser WA, Annegers JF, Kurland LT. Incidence of epilepsy and unprovoked seizures in Rochester, Minnesota: 1935–1984. Epilepsia. 1993;34:453–468
  9. Hauser WA. Recent developments in the epidemiology of epilepsy. Acta Neurol. Scand. Suppl. 1995;162:17–21
  10. Jillek-Aall, L., Matuja, W., 1994. High prevalence of focal epilepsy in a Tanzanian population: Onchocerciasis a possible aetiological factor? (abstract), 2nd Congress of Tropical Neurology, Limoges.
  11. Juul-Jensen P, Foldspang A. Natural history of epileptic seizures. Epilepsia. 1983;24:297–312
  12. Kaiser Ch, Kipp W, Asaba G, Mugisa Ch, Kabagambe G, Rating D, et al. The prevalence of epilepsy follows the distribution of onchocerciasis in a West Ugandan focus. Bull. Who. 1996;74:361–367
  13. Loiseau J, Loiseau P, Guyot M, Duche B, Dartigues JP, Aublet B. Survey of seizure disorders in the French Southwest. I. Incidence of epileptic syndromes. Epilepsia. 1990;31:391–396
  14. Newland HS, White AT, Greene BM, Murphy RP, Taylor HR. Ocular manifestations of onchocerciasis in a rain forest area of West Africa. Br. J. Ophtalmol. 1991;75:163–169
  15. Orley JH. In: Culture and mental illness, a study from Uganda. Nairobi: East African Publishing House; 1970;p. 82
  16. Parkin, D.M., Muir, C.S., Whelan, S.L., Gao, Y.T., Ferlay, J., Powell, J., 1992. Cancer Incidence in Five Continents, vol. 6. Lion, International Agency for research on Cancer, 1992, 528 pp.
  17. Rwiza HT, Kilonzo GP, Haule J, Matuja WBP, Mteza I, Mbena P, et al. Prevalence and incidence of epilepsy in Ulanga, a rural Tanzanian district: A community-based study. Epilepsia. 1992;33:1051–1056
  18. Sander JWAS, Shorvon SD. Incidence and prevalence studies in epilepsy and their methodological problems: A review. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry. 1987;50:829–839
  19. Semba RD, Murphy RP, Newland HS, Awadzi K, Greene BM, Taylor HR. Longitudinal study of lesions of the posterior segment in onchocerciasis. Ophtalmology. 1990;97:1334–1341
  20. Senanayake N, Roman GC. Epidemiology of epilepsy in developing countries. Bull. Who. 1993;71:247–258
  21. Tekle-Haimanot R, Forsgren L, Ekstedt J. Incidence of epilepsy in rural central Ethiopia. Epilepsia. 1997;38:541–546
  22. WHO Expert Committee on Onchocerciasis, Third report, WHO Technical Report Series, No. 752, Geneva, World Health Organization, 1987, 167 pp.
  23. Zimmermann PA, Dadzie KY, De Sole G, Remme J, Soumbey Alley E, Unnasch TR. Onchocerca volvulus DNA probe classification correlates with epidemiological patterns of blindness. J. Infect. Dis. 1992;165:964–968

PII: S0920-1211(98)00007-2

Epilepsy Research
Volume 30, Issue 3 , Pages 247-251 , May 1998

Article Tools