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Volume 32, Number 7—July 2026

Research

Molecular Epidemiology of Skin-Dwelling Filariae and Risk Factors for Mansonella streptocerca Infection, Gabon

Capucine Marie Sicard, Mara Fischer, Chiara Wizemann, Marilen Bartling, Linda Martin, Miriam Rodi, Juliana Inoue, Sabrina Valeria Sinopoli, Esther Mehmel, Andrea Kreidenweiss, Pierre Blaise Matsiegui, Michael Ramharter, Selidji Todagbe Agnandji, and Jana HeldComments to Author 
Author affiliation: Institute of Tropical Medicine Tübingen, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany (C.M. Sicard, M. Fischer, C. Wizemann, M. Bartling, L. Martin, M. Rodi, J. Inoue, S.V. Sinopoli, A. Kreidenweiss, J. Held); Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany (E. Mehmel, A. Kreidenweiss, M. Ramharter); Centre de Recherches Médicales de la Ngounié, Fougamou, Gabon (P.B. Matsiegui); German Center for Infection Research, Partner Sites Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Hamburg (M. Ramharter); Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), Lambaréné, Gabon (M. Ramharter, S.T. Agnandji, J. Held); Institute for Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany (S.T. Agnandji); German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Tübingen, Tübingen (A. Kreidenweiss, J. Held)

Main Article

Table 1

Univariate analysis of associations between demographic, environmental, and clinical variables and Mansonella streptocerca infection in study of molecular epidemiology of skin-dwelling filariae and risk factors for M. streptocerca infection, Gabon*

Category No. participants No. (%)
 p value (test)
M. streptocerca qPCR-positive M. streptocerca qPCR-negative
Total no.
 1,007
 143 (14.2)
 864 (85.8)
Age, y
18–34 249 37 (25.9) 212 (24.5) 0.893 (Cochran-Armitage)
35–50 261 34 (23.8) 227 (26.3)
51–62 249 34 (23.8) 215 (24.9)
63–100 231 35 (24.5) 196 (22.7)
Unknown
 17
 3 (2.1)
 14 (1.6)
Sex
M 504 102 (71.3) 402 (46.5) <0.001 (χ2)
F 489 40 (28.0) 449 (52.0)
Unknown
 14
 1 (0.7)
 13 (1.5)
Occupation
Agriculture 447 72 (50.3) 375 (43.4) 0.007 (χ2)
Nonagricultural manual labor 82 19 (13.3) 63 (7.3)
Health and public sector 86 14 (9.8) 72 (8.3)
Commerce 49 3 (2.1) 46 (5.3)
Other 328 33 (23.1) 295 (34.1)
No answer
 15
 2 (1.4)
 13 (1.5)
Comorbidities
Yes 247 28 (19.6) 219 (25.3) 0.199 (χ2)
No 739 110 (76.9) 629 (72.8)
No answer
 21
 5 (3.5)
 16 (1.9)
No. Culicoides midge bites/day
>50 382 47 (32.9) 335 (38.8) 0.440 (Mann-Whitney U)
10–49 345 51 (35.7) 294 (34.0)
<10 208 33 (23.1) 175 (20.3)
Rare/never 47 4 (2.8) 43 (5.0)
No answer
 25
 8 (5.6)
 17 (2.0)
Everyday life impacted by skin condition
A lot 55 3 (2.1) 52 (6.0) 0.410 (Mann-Whitney U)
Sometimes 116 12 (8.4) 104 (12.0)
Rarely 181 23 (16.1) 158 (18.3)
Never 330 25 (17.5) 305 (35.3)
No answer
 325
 80 (55.9)
 245 (28.4)
History of helminth infection within 1 y
No 941 130 (90.9) 811 (93.9) 0.509 (χ2)
Yes 43 8 (5.6) 35 (4.1)
No answer
 23
 5 (3.5)
 18 (2.1)
Anthelminthic treatment intake within 1 y
No 906 124 (86.7) 782 (90.5) 0.219 (χ2)
Yes 77 15 (10.5) 62 (7.2)
No answer
 24
 4 (2.8)
 20 (2.3)
Recent travel within 1 y
Yes 718 96 (67.1) 622 (72.0) 0.377 (χ2)
No 273 43 (30.1) 230 (26.6)
No answer
 17
 4 (2.8)
 13 (1.5)
Presence of animals inside the habitation
Yes 813 98 (68.5) 715 (82.8) <0.001 (χ2)
No 176 42 (29.4) 134 (15.5)
No answer
 18
 3 (2.1)
 15 (1.7)
Filaria-related ocular symptoms
Yes 322 41 (28.7) 281 (32.5) 0.313 (χ2)
No 650 100 (69.9) 550 (63.7)
No answer
 35
 2 (1.4)
 33 (3.8)
Housing score
4 133 5 (3.5) 128 (14.8) 0.011 (Mann-Whitney U)
3 127 10 (7.0) 117 (13.5)
2 249 23 (16.1) 226 (26.2)
1 132 21 (14.7) 111 (12.8)
0 53 4 (2.8) 49 (5.7)
No answer 313 80 (55.9) 233 (27.0)

*Bold p values indicate statistical significance (p<0.05). qPCR, quantitative PCR.

Main Article

Page created: May 14, 2026
Page updated: June 09, 2026
Page reviewed: June 09, 2026
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