@article{PAR00000501,
  title = {{H}uman infection patterns and heterogeneous exposure in river blindness},
  author = {{F}ilipe, {J}. {A}. {N}. and {B}oussinesq, {M}. and {R}enz, {A}. and {C}ollins, {R}. {C}. and {V}ivas {M}artinez, {S}. and {G}rillet, {M}. {E}. and {L}ittle, {M}. {P}. and {B}asanez, {M}. {G}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{H}ere we analyze patterns of human infection with {O}nchocerca volvulus (the cause of river blindness) in different continents and ecologies. {I}n contrast with some geohelminths and schistosome parasites whose worm burdens typically exhibit a humped pattern with host age, patterns of {O}. volvulus infection vary markedly with locality. {T}o test the hypothesis that such differences are partly due to heterogeneity in exposure to vector bites, we develop an age- and sex-structured model for intensity of infection, with parasite regulation within humans and vectors. {T}he model is fitted to microfilarial data from savannah villages of northern {C}ameroon, coffee fincas of central {G}uatemala, and forest-dwelling communities of southern {V}enezuela that were recorded before introducing ivermectin treatment. {E}stimates of transmission and infection loads are compared with entomological and epidemiological field data. {H}ost age- and sex-heterogeneous exposure largely explains locale-specific infection patterns in onchocerciasis (whereas acquired protective immunity has been invoked for other helminth infections). {T}he basic reproductive number, {R}-o, ranges from 5 to 8, which is slightly above estimates for other helminth parasites but well below previously presented values.},
  keywords = {age ; sex ; helminth ; mathematical model ; onchocerciasis},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{P}roceedings of the {N}ational {A}cademy of {S}ciences of the {U}nited {S}tates of {A}merica},
  volume = {102},
  numero = {42},
  pages = {15265--15270},
  ISSN = {0027-8424},
  year = {2005},
  DOI = {10.1073/pnas.0502659102},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/{PAR}00000501},
}