STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE REPORTED CASES OF ONCHOCERCIASIS (RIVER BLINDNESS) DISEASE FROM 2000-2011
ABSTRACT
Onchocerciasis is increasingly recognized as one of the major diseases of public health importance in endemic parts of the world, especially in Sub-Saharan, Africa. (WHO 1995). The main purpose of this study is to carry out a statistical analysis of the reported cases of onchocerciasis disease, from 2000-2011. A case study of federal Medical Center Abalkaliki,Ebonyi State. This research project looked into the distribution of ochocerciasis patients by sex from 2000-2011, prediction of the possible number of onchocerciasis patients for the years 2012-2014. How a person can get infected. This research work tested whether the rate of occurrence of onchocerciasis is the same among the age groups. It also tested if there is any difference in the number of male and female reported cases . Among the major findings were:-
– Within this 12 years a grand total of 1686 cases were reported out of which 895 are men. This represents 53.08% of the total population while the remaining 791 cases representing 46.93% are female.
– Results also showed that the rate of occurrence of the reported cases is not the same among the age groups.
– Both: male and female have equal chances of being infected with onchocerciasis.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Onchocercias is increasingly recognized as one of the major diseases of public health importance in endemic parts of the word, especially in sub-Saharan, Africa. West Africa includes the most endemic areas in the world; Nigeria being one of the largest countries in West Africa has been reported to have a high incidence of onchocerciasis infection with 7 million people with the disease and 40 million at risk. Onchocerciasis is the world’s second leading infectious cause of blindness. It is not the nematode, but its endosymbiont, Wolbachia pipientis that causes the severe inflammatory response that leaves many blind. An estimated 18 million people suffer from Onchocerciasis, world wide. Onchocerciasis is a chronic parasitic infection caused by the filarial nematode, onchocerca volvulus. This disease is transmitted from one individual to another through the bites of black fly simulium damnosum of the family simulidae (Nwoke et al, 1991) normally found near streams and rivers (giving disease its common name River Blindness)
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