River blindness is an eye and skin disease caused by a parasitic worm that can live for up to 15 years in the human body. The disease is transmitted from one person to another through the bite of an infected blackfly that breeds in fast-flowing streams and rivers. This disease is one of the leading causes of blindness in Africa and can also leads to skin rashes, lesions, intense itching and loss of skin colour.
Attribution: Straight Talk Foundation