Immunization Newsbriefs (c) Copyright Information Inc., Bethesda, MD. Brought to you by the National Network for Immunization Information (NNii). Visit NNii's new website at http://www.immunizationinfo.org.

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March 15, 2002

"One Step Nearer to Cure for River Blindness"

Africa News Service (www.allafrica.com) (03/12/02)

Nature magazine published research, conducted by Eric Pearlman of Case Western Research University in Ohio and his team of researchers, that points to wolbachia microbes within worms found in rivers as the cause of onchocerciasis, or river blindness, because the human immune system is prompted to overreact when the bacteria is introduced into the body.  Pearlman discovered that a molecular receptor in the eye is particularly sensitive to wolbachia, which can lead to a cataract-like blindness in humans. Understanding the cause of river blindness may lead to prevention and treatment of the disease, using drugs to both kill wolbachia and eliminate reproduction in the worms and a vaccine to prevent the disease itself.

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