Onchocerciasis

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “Onchocerciasis is a Neglected tropical disease caused by the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus. It is transmitted through repeated bites by blackflies of the genus Simulium. The disease is called River Blindness because the blackfly that transmits the infection lives and breeds near fast-flowing streams and rivers and the infection can result in blindness. In addition to visual impairment or blindness, onchocerciasis causes skin disease, including nodules under

Introduction to the Case First established in 1668 in Darmstadt, Germany, Merck is currently (in 1978) one of the largest prescription drug producers in the world. After coming off a 10 year drug drought in the late 1970s, Merck put a large amount of money into research to continue its dominance in the prescription drug industry. The research-first approach worked and since then Merck has increased sales significantly. Merck’s mission was well stated by founder George W. Merck. “We try never

Case Analysis Using the Eight-Step Model – Merck and River Blindness As chairman of Merck & Co., I must discuss the unfortunate case of onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness. As a leading pharmaceutical company, we must make a difficult decision. Our company may hold a cure to a deadly parasitic disease that has caused hundreds of thousands of people to go blind and many more have become severely ill. This disease is caused by black flies which carry parasitic worms which then bite human

Caused by a parasitic worm carried by a tiny black fly, the disease brought about visual impairment and skin lesions to millions of people. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated in 1978 that some 340,000 people were blind because of onchocerciasis, and that a million more were suffered from various

Merck Research Laboratories and Pharmaceutical firms in the world. Scientist Dr. Campbell and Dr. Mohammad Aziz, have made great progress in developing a cure that will make a difference in disease called River Blindness. River Blindness is a disease known for being life-threatening to those who contract the disease. Its symptoms include severe itching throughout the body, skin disfigurations, and total if not permanent blindness. As chairman of Merck, it is my decision on whether to allow Dr. Campbell

after infection with onchocerciasis— known colloquially as “river blindness”— a disease caused by Onchocerca volvulus (O. volvulus), a parasitic worm carried by black flies of the Similium genus. Hundreds of thousands more are visually impaired as a result of the disease, and tens of millions are infected. Onchocerciasis, endemic in Africa and South America, causes an overpowering, painful itch, deterioration in vision, and, in some cases, total blindness. Clearly, onchocerciasis is an issue in dire

contact, a clear indication that he is blind. You approach the lizard man and ask his age, he replies “Cuarenta y tres.” You wonder to yourself how could a man who is 43 years old have lost his vision and aged so prematurely? The simple answer is Onchocerciasis or more commonly known as River Blindness. Desowitz (1981) discusses the

Several million cases of strep throat occur every year. Symptoms include a sore throat, fever, headache, fatigue, and nausea. Onchocerciasis- Onchocerciasis is caused by the larvae of Onchocerca volvulus, a parasitic worm that lives in the human body for years. It is endemic in Africa, where nearly all of the 18 million people infected with the disease live. Of those infected, over 6.5 million

areas of South America and Africa, Florida is a prime candidate to become exposed. Yellow fever can also be a form or plague which makes it a huge biosecurity threat. • Florida’s main concern for a biosecurity threat of the River Blindness or Onchocerciasis, is that it has no vaccine to

Scabies Treatment Scabies is a major global health problem caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis, an obligate human ectoparasite measuring between 330 and 450 µm in length. Treatment of this disease has undergone various changes from the days of Roman physician Celsus, when sulphur mixed with liquid pitch was used as a primary approach. Today, scabies therapy involves making the correct diagnosis, recognizing the correct clinical context to guide treatment of contacts and fomites, choosing