@article{fdi:010062616,
  title = {{R}epurposed automated handheld counter as a point-of-care tool to identify individuals 'at risk' of serious post-ivermectin encephalopathy},
  author = {{B}ennuru, {S}. and {P}ion, {S}{\'e}bastien and {K}amgno, {J}. and {W}anji, {S}. and {N}utman, {T}. {B}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{I}ntroduction: {A}dministration of ivermectin ({IVM}) as part of mass drug administration ({MDA}) campaigns for onchocerciasis and/or lymphatic filariasis ({LF}) has been suspended in areas co-endemic for {L}oa loa due to severe post-treatment adverse events ({SAE}s) associated with high-burden of infection (>30,000 mf/ml). {O}ne simple approach for preventing {SAE}s is to identify and exclude individuals at risk from {MDA}. {H}ere, we describe a repurposed hand-held automated cell counter ({S}cepter 2.0; {HHAC}) as a rapid, point-of-care method for quantifying microfilariae (mf) in the blood of infected individuals. {M}ethodology/{P}rincipal {F}indings: {T}he quantification of microfilarial levels in blood of naturally infected humans, experimentally infected baboons, or mf-spiked human blood was tested using a microfluidic-based automated counter and compared to traditional calibrated thick-smears. {W}e demonstrate that mf can be quantified in 20 mu l of whole blood following lysis with 10% saponin within a minute of obtaining blood. {T}here was a highly significant concordance between the counts obtained by the {HHAC} and those by microscopy for mf densities of >5,000 (p<0.0001, r(c) = 0.97) or >30,000 per ml (p<0.0001, r(c) = 0.90). {P}reliminary proof of concept field studies in {C}ameroon with 20 mu l of blood from {L}. loa infected humans (n = 22) and baboons (n = 4) also demonstrated a significantly high concordance (p<0.0001, r(c) = 0.89) with calibrated thick blood smears counts. {C}onclusions/{S}ignificance: {A} repurposed {HHAC} is a portable, sensitive, rapid, point-of-care and quantitative tool to identify individuals with high levels of {L}. loa mf that put them at risk for {SAE}s following {MDA}. {I}n addition, it provides ease of data storage and accessibility.},
  keywords = {{CAMEROUN} ; {ETATS} {UNIS}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{P}los {N}eglected {T}ropical {D}iseases},
  volume = {8},
  numero = {9},
  pages = {e3180},
  ISSN = {1935-2735},
  year = {2014},
  DOI = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0003180},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010062616},
}