Implications of human migration on onchocerciasis prevalence in Ogun State, south-western Nigeria

Abstract

This study reports information on human migration and its possible role in the spread of onchocerciasis in Ogun State. Employing structured questionnaire, information on history of migration and residency was obtained from a total of 2,169 participants selected from 32 communities (four from each of the eight meso-endemic LGA’s) receiving treatment with ivermectin. The study which was conducted between March and June 2015 also investigated the sero prevalence of Onchocerca volvulus using onchocerciasis IgG4 RDT. Data were analysed using SPSS 20 software. Demographic information revealed that 43.3% (939/2,169) were males while 56.7% (1,230/2,169) were females. 37.9% (823/2,169) were non-natives of the communities in a ratio 1:3. Assessing information on migration history, 49.5% (1,074/2,169) of total population had at one point lived outside the communities in the past 10 years while 50.5% (1,095/2,169) had not. Result on sero-prevalence revealed an overall sero-prevalence of 9.9% (214/2,169) across all LGA’s studied, non natives of communities recorded the leastsero-positive 5.8% (48/823), followed by residents that had at one time lived outside the communities in the past 10 years 6.1% (66/1,074) while highest sero prevalence was recorded among permanent residents 13.5% (148/1,095). Sero-prevalence and migration history of participants were negatively correlated with no significant difference r=-0.4619 p>0.05). The results revealed the diverse population of people resident in onchocerciasis communities and also informs on the implication of human migration on exposure to O. volvulus in Ogun State.

Keywords: migration, onchocerciasis Ov16 RDT, O. volvulus, Ogun State, Nigeria