In districts heavily infected with onchocerciasis there are villages where all the adults are blind

In districts heavily infected with onchocerciasis there are villages where all the adults are blind

Collection:
Images from the History of Medicine (IHM)
Language(s):
English
French
Format:
Still image
Subject(s):
Child
World Health Organization
Abstract:
Several blind adults are walking with the aid of sticks and are being guided by children. Verso: WHO/5626. Chad- Onchocerciasis. Eyes in danger. Onchocerciasis, or river blindness, is widespread in central America and in large stretches of central Africa. The disease is caused by a minute worm transmitted to man by the bits of infected flies. A multitude of these worms invading the eye causes ocular disturbances and sometimes blindness. A WHO expert committee on onchocerciasis, which in 1953 studied the disease and possible means of prevention, reported infection rates of 80 to 100 percent in different countries of Africa and America. In districts heavily infected with onchocerciasis there are villages where all the adults are blind. Children are precious there: they can see, and lead their elders about until blindness overtakes them too.
Copyright:
WHO must be mentioned in accompanying text and/or given credit.
Copyright Holder:
World Health Organization; Source: Record; Research date: 20151020
Extent:
1 photoprint.
NLM Unique ID:
101437199 (See catalog record)
NLM Image ID:
A013886
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101437199