Global Health Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
Provincial Health Division of Ituri, Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Infect Dis Poverty. 2018 Mar 22;7(1):23. doi: 10.1186/s40249-018-0400-0.
Recently, several epidemiological studies performed in Onchocerca volvulus-endemic regions have suggested that onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy (OAE) may constitute an important but neglected public health problem in many countries where onchocerciasis is still endemic.
On October 12-14 2017, the first international workshop on onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy (OAE) was held in Antwerp, Belgium. The workshop was attended by 79 participants from 20 different countries. Recent research findings strongly suggest that O. volvulus is an important contributor to epilepsy, particularly in meso- and hyperendemic areas for onchocerciasis. Infection with O. volvulus is associated with a spectrum of epileptic seizures, mainly generalised tonic-clonic seizures but also atonic neck seizures (nodding), and stunted growth. OAE is characterised by an onset of seizures between the ages of 3-18 years. Multidisciplinary working groups discussed topics such as how to 1) strengthen the evidence for an association between onchocerciasis and epilepsy, 2) determine the burden of disease caused by OAE, 3) prevent OAE, 4) improve the treatment/care for persons with OAE and affected families, 5) identify the pathophysiological mechanism of OAE, and 6) deal with misconceptions, stigma, discrimination and gender violence associated with OAE. An OAE Alliance was created to increase awareness about OAE and its public health importance, stimulate research and disseminate research findings, and create partnerships between OAE researchers, communities, advocacy groups, ministries of health, non-governmental organisations, the pharmaceutical industry and funding organizations.
Although the exact pathophysiological mechanism underlying OAE remains unknown, there is increasing evidence that by controlling and eliminating onchocerciasis, OAE will also disappear. Therefore, OAE constitutes an additional argument for strengthening onchocerciasis elimination efforts. Given the high numbers of people with epilepsy in O. volvulus-endemic regions, more advocacy is urgently needed to provide anti-epileptic treatment to improve the quality of life of these individuals and their families.
最近，在盘尾丝虫病流行地区进行的几项流行病学研究表明，盘尾丝虫病相关癫痫（OAE）可能是许多仍然流行盘尾丝虫病的国家中一个重要但被忽视的公共卫生问题。
2017 年 10 月 12 日至 14 日，第一届盘尾丝虫病相关癫痫（OAE）国际研讨会在比利时安特卫普举行。来自 20 个不同国家的 79 名参与者出席了研讨会。最近的研究结果强烈表明，O. volvulus 是癫痫的一个重要致病因素，特别是在盘尾丝虫病的中高度流行地区。感染 O. volvulus 与一系列癫痫发作有关，主要是全身性强直阵挛性发作，但也有失神性颈部发作（点头）和生长迟缓。OAE 的特征是在 3-18 岁之间发作。多学科工作组讨论了以下主题，如 1）如何加强盘尾丝虫病与癫痫之间关联的证据，2）确定 OAE 造成的疾病负担，3）预防 OAE，4）改善 OAE 患者和受影响家庭的治疗/护理，5）确定 OAE 的病理生理机制，以及 6）处理与 OAE 相关的误解、耻辱感、歧视和性别暴力。成立了一个 OAE 联盟，以提高对 OAE 及其公共卫生重要性的认识，激发研究并传播研究结果，并在 OAE 研究人员、社区、宣传团体、卫生部、非政府组织、制药行业和资助组织之间建立合作伙伴关系。
尽管 OAE 的确切病理生理机制尚不清楚，但越来越多的证据表明，通过控制和消除盘尾丝虫病，OAE 也将消失。因此，OAE 构成了加强盘尾丝虫病消除工作的另一个论据。鉴于盘尾丝虫病流行地区癫痫患者人数众多，迫切需要更多的宣传，以提供抗癫痫治疗，改善这些患者及其家庭的生活质量。
