Scientists Find Cause of River Blindness

"Scientists at the University of Liverpool have found that the worm which causes River Blindness survives by using a bacterium to provide energy, as well as help ‘trick’ the body’s immune system into thinking it is fighting a different kind of infection," reports Midwest Lens. "River Blindness affects 37 million people, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, causing intense itching of the skin, visual impairment and in severe cases, irreversible blindness. It is caused by a parasitic worm that is transmitted by blood-feeding blackflies, which breed in fast-flowing rivers." Read more.