{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T06:13:41Z","timestamp":1791353621679,"version":"4.3.1"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,8]],"date-time":"2024-08-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1723075200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"The Carter Center","award":["7-330-0216642-65438L"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["7-330-0216642-65438L"]}]},{"name":"The Carter Center","award":["7-330-0213210-51113L"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["7-330-0213210-51113L"]}]},{"name":"The Carter Center","award":["SF398\/400"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SF398\/400"]}]},{"name":"The Carter Center","award":["SF758"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SF758"]}]},{"name":"The Carter Center","award":["1193\/UND"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1193\/UND"]}]},{"name":"ENVISION","award":["7-330-0216642-65438L"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["7-330-0216642-65438L"]}]},{"name":"ENVISION","award":["7-330-0213210-51113L"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["7-330-0213210-51113L"]}]},{"name":"ENVISION","award":["SF398\/400"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SF398\/400"]}]},{"name":"ENVISION","award":["SF758"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SF758"]}]},{"name":"ENVISION","award":["1193\/UND"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1193\/UND"]}]},{"name":"RTI International, and the Lions Clubs International Foundation","award":["7-330-0216642-65438L"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["7-330-0216642-65438L"]}]},{"name":"RTI International, and the Lions Clubs International Foundation","award":["7-330-0213210-51113L"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["7-330-0213210-51113L"]}]},{"name":"RTI International, and the Lions Clubs International Foundation","award":["SF398\/400"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SF398\/400"]}]},{"name":"RTI International, and the Lions Clubs International Foundation","award":["SF758"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SF758"]}]},{"name":"RTI International, and the Lions Clubs International Foundation","award":["1193\/UND"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1193\/UND"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Onchocerciasis causes severe morbidity in sub-Saharan Africa. Abia, Anambra, Enugu, and Imo states of Nigeria were historically classified meso- or hyperendemic and eligible for ivermectin mass drug administration (MDA). After \u226525 years of annual and biannual MDA, serological and entomological assessments were conducted to determine if Onchocerca volvulus transmission was interrupted. Dried blood spots collected in October 2020 from \u22653167 children 5\u20139 years old in each state were screened for O. volvulus-specific Ov16 antibody by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Additionally, 52,187 Simulium damnosum heads (\u22658845 per state) collected over 12 months between 2021 and 2022 were tested by pooled polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for O-150 DNA. Among seven seropositive children, four were found for follow-up skin snip PCR to confirm active infection. Three were negative and the fourth was excluded as he was visiting from an endemic state. The final seroprevalence estimates of each state had 95% upper confidence limits (UCL) &lt; 0.1%. All fly pools were negative by O-150 PCR, giving a 95% UCL infective fly prevalence &lt; 0.05% in each state. Each state therefore met the World Health Organization epidemiological and entomological criteria for stopping MDA effective January 2023. With 18.9 million residents eligible for MDA, this marked the largest global onchocerciasis stop-treatment decision to date.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens13080671","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,8]],"date-time":"2024-08-08T12:13:14Z","timestamp":1723119194000},"page":"671","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["The Interruption of Transmission of Onchocerciasis in Abia, Anambra, Enugu, and Imo States, Nigeria: The Largest Global Onchocerciasis Stop-Treatment Decision to Date"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Cephas","family":"Ityonzughul","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"The Carter Center, Jos 930104, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Adamu","family":"Sallau","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Carter Center, Jos 930104, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Emmanuel","family":"Miri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Carter Center, Jos 930104, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Emmanuel","family":"Emukah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Carter Center, Jos 930104, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Barminas","family":"Kahansim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Carter Center, Jos 930104, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Solomon","family":"Adelamo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Carter Center, Jos 930104, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"George","family":"Chiedo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Carter Center, Jos 930104, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Samuel","family":"Ifeanyichukwu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Carter Center, Jos 930104, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8591-5642","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jenna E.","family":"Coalson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Carter Center, Atlanta, GA 30307, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lindsay","family":"Rakers","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Carter Center, Atlanta, GA 30307, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0331-8802","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Emily","family":"Griswold","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Carter Center, Atlanta, GA 30307, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chukwuemeka","family":"Makata","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Abuja 900242, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fatai","family":"Oyediran","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Abuja 900242, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stella","family":"Osuji","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Imo State Ministry of Health, Owerri 460281, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Solomon","family":"Offor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Abia State Ministry of Health, Umuahia 440236, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Emmanuel","family":"Obikwelu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Anambra State Ministry of Health, Awka 420110, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ifeoma","family":"Otiji","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Enugu State Ministry of Health, Enugu 400105, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"suffix":"Jr.","given":"Frank O.","family":"Richards","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Carter Center, Atlanta, GA 30307, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1332-4832","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gregory S.","family":"Noland","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Carter Center, Atlanta, GA 30307, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"2","article-title":"A Review of Simulium Damnosum s.l. and Human Onchocerciasis in Nigeria, with Special Reference to Geographical Distribution and the Development of a Nigerian National Control Campaign","volume":"32","author":"Crosskey","year":"1981","journal-title":"Tropenmed. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S101","DOI":"10.1080\/00034983.1998.11813373","article-title":"Onchocerciasis: The Burden of Disease","volume":"92","author":"Kale","year":"1998","journal-title":"Ann. Trop. Med. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"WHO (1995). WHO Expert Committee on Onchocerciasis Control Onchocerciasis and Its Control: Report of a WHO Expert Committee on Onchocerciasis Control, WHO."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S79","DOI":"10.1080\/00034983.1998.11813370","article-title":"Human Onchocerciasis: Current Assessment of the Disease Burden in Nigeria by Rapid Epidemiological Mapping","volume":"92","author":"Gemade","year":"1998","journal-title":"Ann. Trop. Med. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S93","DOI":"10.1179\/000349802125000673","article-title":"APOC\u2019s strategy of community-directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTI) and its potential for providing additional health services to the poorest populations. African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control","volume":"96","author":"Homeida","year":"2002","journal-title":"Ann. Trop. Med. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Diawara, L., Traor\u00e9, M.O., Badji, A., Bissan, Y., Doumbia, K., Goita, S.F., Konat\u00e9, L., Mounkoro, K., Sarr, M.D., and Seck, A.F. (2009). Feasibility of Onchocerciasis Elimination with Ivermectin Treatment in Endemic Foci in Africa: First Evidence from Studies in Mali and Senegal. PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis., 3.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0000497"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Traore, M.O., Sarr, M.D., Badji, A., Bissan, Y., Diawara, L., Doumbia, K., Goita, S.F., Konate, L., Mounkoro, K., and Seck, A.F. (2012). Proof-of-Principle of Onchocerciasis Elimination with Ivermectin Treatment in Endemic Foci in Africa: Final Results of a Study in Mali and Senegal. PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis., 6.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0001825"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"28","DOI":"10.1186\/1756-3305-5-28","article-title":"Impact of Long-Term Treatment of Onchocerciasis with Ivermectin in Kaduna State, Nigeria: First Evidence of the Potential for Elimination in the Operational Area of the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control","volume":"5","author":"Tekle","year":"2012","journal-title":"Parasit. Vectors"},{"key":"ref_9","unstructured":"Federal Ministry of Health (2017). Nigeria Onchocerciasis Elimination Plan."},{"key":"ref_10","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2016). Guidelines for Stopping Mass Drug Administration and Verifying Elimination of Human Onchocerciasis: Criteria and Procedures, World Health Organization."},{"key":"ref_11","first-page":"852","article-title":"Rapid Assessment Method for Prevalence and Intensity of Loa loa Infection","volume":"80","author":"Takougang","year":"2002","journal-title":"Bull. World Health Organ."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"116","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.18-0163","article-title":"In Southern Nigeria Loa loa Blood Microfilaria Density Is Very Low Even in Areas with High Prevalence of Loiasis: Results of a Survey Using the New LoaScope Technology","volume":"99","author":"Emukah","year":"2018","journal-title":"Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e011193","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2022-011193","article-title":"How Well Do Coverage Surveys and Programmatically Reported Mass Drug Administration Coverage Match? Results from 214 Mass Drug Administration Campaigns in 15 Countries, 2008\u20132017","volume":"8","author":"Zoerhoff","year":"2023","journal-title":"BMJ Glob. Health"},{"key":"ref_14","unstructured":"National Population Commission, and ICF (2019). Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2018, National Population Commission."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"749","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.18-0341","article-title":"Operational Performance of the Onchocerca Volvulus \u201cOEPA\u201d Ov16 ELISA Serological Assay in Mapping, Guiding Decisions to Stop Mass Drug Administration, and Posttreatment Surveillance Surveys","volume":"99","author":"Richards","year":"2018","journal-title":"Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"371","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.2005.73.371","article-title":"Status of Forest Onchocerciasis in the Lower Cross River Basin, Nigeria: Entomologic Profile after Five Years of Ivermectin Intervention","volume":"73","author":"Opara","year":"2005","journal-title":"Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1414","DOI":"10.1093\/infdis\/172.5.1414","article-title":"Determining the Prevalence of Onchocerca Volvulus Infection in Vector Populations by Polymerase Chain Reaction Screening of Pools of Black Flies","volume":"172","author":"Katholi","year":"1995","journal-title":"J. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"38","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.2004.70.38","article-title":"Polymerase Chain Reaction Monitoring of Transmission of Onchocerca volvulus in Two Endemic States in Mexico","volume":"70","author":"Lilley","year":"2004","journal-title":"Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105158","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envsoft.2021.105158","article-title":"PoolTestR: An R Package for Estimating Prevalence and Regression Modelling for Molecular Xenomonitoring and Other Applications with Pooled Samples","volume":"145","author":"McLure","year":"2021","journal-title":"Environ. Model. Softw."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.52589\/AJBMR-7P1KWJLZ","article-title":"Seasonal Larval Abundance of the Blackfly, Simulium damnosum Complex and the Physico-Chemical Properties of Their Breeding Sites in Oji River System, Enugu State, Nigeria","volume":"4","author":"Ochu","year":"2021","journal-title":"Afr. J. Biol. Med. Res."},{"key":"ref_21","first-page":"14","article-title":"Seasonal Variations in Human Onchocerciasis Transmission by Black Flies (Simulium damnosum s. l.) in a Forest Area of Cross River State, Nigeria","volume":"7","author":"Atting","year":"2005","journal-title":"Afr. J. Appl. Zool. Environ. Biol."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"582","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.19-0577","article-title":"The Interruption of Transmission of Human Onchocerciasis by an Annual Mass Drug Administration Program in Plateau and Nasarawa States, Nigeria","volume":"102","author":"Richards","year":"2020","journal-title":"Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"ii43","DOI":"10.1093\/inthealth\/ihac036","article-title":"The Interruption of Transmission of Onchocerciasis in Kaduna, Kebbi and Zamfara States, Nigeria: Another Milestone Achievement","volume":"14","author":"Isiyaku","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. Health"},{"key":"ref_24","unstructured":"(2019). World Health Organization Elimination of Human Onchocerciasis: Progress Report, 2018\u20132019. Wkly. Epidemiol. Rec., 45, 513\u2013523."},{"key":"ref_25","first-page":"81","article-title":"Onchocerciasis Elimination: Progress and Challenges","volume":"11","author":"Lakwo","year":"2020","journal-title":"Res. Rep. Trop. Med."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ekpo, U.F., Eneanya, O.A., Nwankwo, E.N., Soneye, I.Y., Weil, G.J., Fischer, P.U., and Nwaorgu, O.C. (2022). Persistence of Onchocerciasis in Villages in Enugu and Ogun States in Nigeria Following Many Rounds of Mass Distribution of Ivermectin. BMC Infect. Dis., 22.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-022-07811-7"}],"container-title":["Pathogens"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-0817\/13\/8\/671\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T15:31:57Z","timestamp":1760110317000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-0817\/13\/8\/671"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,8]]},"references-count":26,"journal-issue":{"issue":"8","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,8]]}},"alternative-id":["pathogens13080671"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/pathogens13080671","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-0817"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2076-0817","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,8]]}}}