noun
also on·co·cer·ci·a·sis ˌäŋkōˌsərˈkīəsə̇s
( plural onchocerciases -əˌsēz)
Etymology: New Latin, from Onchocerca + -iasis
: infestation with or disease caused by filarial worms of the genus Onchocerca ; especially : a disease of man caused by a worm ( O. volvulus ) native to Africa but now present in parts of tropical America, transmitted by several biting flies, and marked by subcutaneous nodules containing adult worms and migration of larvae through the tissues causing local irritation and itching and when the eyes are involved sometimes blindness — compare craw-craw