American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume 81, Issue 3, 2009, Pages 438-442

Exposure of seasonal migrant workers to Onchocerca volvulus on coffee plantations in Guatemala (Article)

Lindblade K.A. , Richards M. , Richards J. , Gonzalez R.J. , Cruz-Ortiz N. , Zea-Flores G. , Morales A.L. , Sauerbrey M. , Castro J. , Catú E. , Arana B. , Richards Jr. F.O. , Klein R.E.
  • a Regional Office for Central America and Panama, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, 18 Avenida 11-95, Zona 15 VH III, Guatemala City, Guatemala
  • b Centro de Estudios en Salud, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, 18 Avenida 11-95, Zona 15 VH III, Guatemala City, Guatemala
  • c Centro de Estudios en Salud, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, 18 Avenida 11-95, Zona 15 VH III, Guatemala City, Guatemala
  • d Centro de Estudios en Salud, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, 18 Avenida 11-95, Zona 15 VH III, Guatemala City, Guatemala
  • e Centro de Estudios en Salud, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, 18 Avenida 11-95, Zona 15 VH III, Guatemala City, Guatemala
  • f Onchocerciasis Elimination Program of the Americas, 14 Calle 3-51, Oficina 14-01 Zona 10, Guatemala City, 01010, Guatemala
  • g Onchocerciasis Elimination Program of the Americas, 14 Calle 3-51, Oficina 14-01 Zona 10, Guatemala City, 01010, Guatemala
  • h Onchocerciasis Elimination Program of the Americas, 14 Calle 3-51, Oficina 14-01 Zona 10, Guatemala City, 01010, Guatemala
  • i Programa de Enfermedades Transmitidas Por Vectores, Ministerio de Salud Y Asistencia Publica, 5a Avenida 11-40, Zona 11, Guatemala, Guatemala
  • j Programa de Enfermedades Transmitidas Por Vectores, Ministerio de Salud Y Asistencia Publica, 5a Avenida 11-40, Zona 11, Guatemala, Guatemala
  • k Centro de Estudios en Salud, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, 18 Avenida 11-95, Zona 15 VH III, Guatemala City, Guatemala
  • l Carter Center, One Copenhill, 453 Freedom Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30307, United States
  • m Centro de Estudios en Salud, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, 18 Avenida 11-95, Zona 15 VH III, Guatemala City, Guatemala

Abstract

Onchocerciasis (river blindness), which is close to being eliminated from Guatemala through semiannual administration of ivermectin, is still transmitted in one area of the country that coincidentally receives an annual influx of migrant workers to harvest coffee. Migrant workers generally are not included in semiannual ivermectin treatments, but if infected could serve as a reservoir. We report on two studies undertaken to measure the exposure to onchocerciasis (presence of IgG4 antibodies to a recombinant Onchocerca volvulus antigen, OV-16) among migrant workers. During two coffee harvest seasons, 170 migrant workers with a history of working in the disease-endemic area were tested and 1 (0.6%, 95% confidence interval = 0-3.2%) was seropositive. This low rate of exposure in migrant workers indicates that they are unlikely to play a significant role in transmission of onchocerciasis and may indicate that transmission in the last remaining disease-endemic area of Guatemala is decreasing significantly. Copyright © 2009 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

blood sampling Guatemala Anthelmintics Population Surveillance Onchocerciasis human Onchocerca volvulus Agriculture ivermectin Animals Seasons coffee Young Adult migrant worker school child Humans Adolescent male preschool child occupational exposure Infant female pilot study Article harvest period disease transmission major clinical study adult plantation immunoglobulin G antibody Transients and Migrants Pilot Projects Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-69249177357&partnerID=40&md5=46eecea5f9da38ad85b605578071aeb4
ISSN: 00029637
Cited by: 2
Original Language: English