onchocerciasis
noun
ˌäŋ-kə-\
ˌäŋ-kə-
\
Definition of onchocerciasis
: infestation with or disease caused by filarial worms (genus Onchocerca)
especially
: a human disease marked by subcutaneous nodules, dermatitis, and visual impairment and caused by a worm (O. volvulus) found in Africa and tropical America which is transmitted by the bite of a female blackfly
— called also
river blindness
Examples of onchocerciasis in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Fifteen years ago as much as half the population was infected with the worm that causes onchocerciasis, or river blindness (see map). — The Economist, "How Sierra Leone is beating tropical diseases," 23 June 2018 Yet by 2017 only 2% of people carried the worm, and there had been no new cases recorded of people going blind from onchocerciasis in a decade. — The Economist, "How Sierra Leone is beating tropical diseases," 23 June 2018 River blindness, or onchocerciasis, is a nasty disease that has burdened Africa for as long as anyone can remember. — Brian Rinker, CNN, "New tech revolutionizes fight against ancient diseases in Africa, Asia," 17 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'onchocerciasis.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for onchocerciasis
onchocerciasis
noun
\
\
Medical Definition of onchocerciasis
: infestation with or disease caused by filarial worms of the genus Onchocerca
especially
: a human disease marked by subcutaneous nodules, dermatitis, and visual impairment that is caused by a worm (O. volvulus) found in Africa and tropical America and transmitted by the bite of a female blackfly
— called also
onchocercosis, river blindness
Comments on onchocerciasis
What made you want to look up onchocerciasis? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Difficult Vocab Quiz
-
- Which is a synonym of discomfit?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share onchocerciasis
Resources for onchocerciasis