Onchocerca volvulus

**Semantic type:** Animal

**Definition:** A species of nematode in the family Onchocercidae with a smooth cuticle, blunt anterior and posterior ends, and lacking lips or a buccal capsule. The lifecycle of O. volvulus involves the black fly as the intermediate host and humans as the definitive host. This nematode is the causative agent of onchocerciasis (river blindness).

**Synonyms:** - ONCHOCERCA VOLVULUS