Diagnostic value of glycoprotein band patterns of three serologic enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot assays for neurocysticercosis.

The enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB) assay to detect antibodies in serum is a complementary tool for the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis (NCC). Presence of at least one glycoprotein band corresponding to a Taenia solium (T. solium) antigen indicates a positive result; however, EITB assays have multiple glycoprotein bands, and previous work has suggested that band patterns may have additional diagnostic value. We included 58 participants with a definitive diagnosis of NCC who received care at the Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía in Mexico City. Three different EITB tests were applied to participants' serum samples (LDBio, France; US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]; and Instituto de Diagnóstico y Referencia Epidemiológicos [InDRE]). There was substantial variability in specific glycoprotein band patterns among the three assays. However, in age- and sex-adjusted logistic regression models, the number of glycoprotein bands was positively associated with the presence of vesicular extraparenchymal cysts (InDRE adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.60 p < 0.001; CDC aOR 6.31 p < 0.001; LDBio aOR 2.45 p < 0.001) and negatively associated with the presence of calcified parenchymal cysts (InDRE aOR 0.63 p < 0.001; CDC aOR 0.25 p < 0.001; LDBio aOR 0.44 p < 0.001). In a sensitivity analysis also adjusting for cyst count, results were similar. In all three EITB serum antibody tests, the number of glycoprotein bands consistently predicted cyst stage and location, although magnitude of effect differed.

Disseminated cysticercosis in China with complex and variable clinical manifestations: a case series.

BACKGROUND: Cysticercosis is an emerging and neglected tropical disease (NTD) that poses a serious public health concern worldwide. Disseminated cysticercosis (DCC) is an uncommon manifestation of cysticercosis, also found in China. CASE PRESENTATION: We report three cases of DCC in patients living in China, with different clinical and radiological presentations. All three patients had DCC with active ocular cysticercosis, including one patient with widespread DCC caused by direct ingestion of Taenia solium eggs. The intravitreal cysticercus cyst in this patient was completely extracted entirely by 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy, and the cyst was oval in shape on the flat mount preparation. CONCLUSION: The clinical presentation of DCC is highly sophisticated. The diagnosis depended on the typical radiological presentations, biopsy and flat mount preparations of the cyst.

Neurocysticercosis: A new concept and insight into basic and future pharmacotherapy.

Neurocysticercosis is a neurological infection caused by the larva of taenia solium. The larva infection may affect different parts of the human brain and spinal cord, leading to focal neurological deficit with/without inflammatory reactions. Neurocysticercosis is one of the major causes of epilepsy in the developing countries. It is of two types. One is extra-parenchymal neurocysticercosis in which cysticerci cysts at subarachinoid space and ventricles lead to obstructive hydrocephalus and increase in the intracranial pressure. The other type is intra-parenchymal neurocysticercosis in which the cysticerci cyst grows inside the brain parenchyma, causing the feature of space-occupying lesion. The common presentation of intra-parenchymal neurocysticercosis is secondary epilepsy which is due to focal lesion and/or local inflammatory reactions. Cysticidal therapy increases the risk of seizure due to the induction of host inflammatory reactions. Therefore, coadministration of corticosteroids reduces the risk of seizure through attenuation of inflammatory reactions and brain oedema. Praziquantel alone or in combination with albendazole is regarded as the basic cysticidal therapy against neurocysticercosis. Newer drugs and agents are recommended to overcome the partial failure of standard cysticidal therapy.

The epidemiology of Taenia spp. infection and Taenia solium cysticerci exposure in humans in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: Vietnam is endemic for taeniasis and T. solium cysticercosis. Despite this, information on the epidemiological characteristics of the diseases in the Central Highlands of Vietnam are poorly described. The aims of this study were to determine the epidemiological characteristics of taeniasis (Taenia spp.) and T. solium cysticerci exposure in humans in Dak Lak province in the Central Highlands, Vietnam. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out in six villages in three districts of Dak Lak. A total of 190 households were visited. From each household, between one and five individuals were asked to donate a single faecal and blood sample and respond to a questionnaire. Serum samples were subjected to lentil lectin purified glycoprotein enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot assay to detect antibodies against T. solium cysticerci. Multiplex real-time PCR was used to detect Taenia spp. infection in faecal samples. A fixed-effects logistic regression model was developed to identify factors associated with the probability of Taenia spp. infection or T. solium cysticerci exposure risk. The contribution of each of identified factor was quantified using population attributable fractions. RESULTS: The prevalence of seroexposure to T. solium in Dak Lak was 5% (95% CI 3% to 8%). Consumption of raw vegetables, sourcing drinking water from lakes, streams or ponds and the practice of outdoor defaecation were identified as primary risk factors for the prevalence of T. solium cysticerci exposure, while consuming undercooked pork and beef, pork tongue and observing Taenia proglottids in stool were associated with Taenia spp. infection. Consumption of raw vegetables attributed to 74% of T. solium cysticerci exposure-positive cases and consumption of undercooked beef attributed to 77% of taeniasis cases in these communities. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of T. solium seroexposure in Dak Lak is consistent with those reported in other regions of Vietnam. The identified risk factors associated with the prevalence of T. solium seroexposure and taeniasis infection in Dak Lak are modifiable and thus advocate for targeted community intervention programs to mitigating these risks.

Distribution and histopathological changes induced by cysts of Taenia solium in the brain of pigs from Tanzania.

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) caused by Taenia solium cysts is a frequent but neglected parasitic disease of the central nervous system (CNS) worldwide. The aim of this study was to describe anatomical locations of cysts in the CNS and the corresponding inflammation. A total of 17 naturally infected pigs were used to evaluate the distribution of cysts and, of these, seven were used to evaluate the corresponding inflammation further, through histopathology. Clinical signs in the pigs included dullness, sluggishness, somnolence, apathy and loss of consciousness. Cysts were distributed in all cerebral lobes, i.e. 39.7% in the frontal lobe, 20.3% in the parietal lobe, 20.0% in the occipital lobe and 19.7% in the temporal lobe, and only 0.4% in the cerebellum. No cysts were found in the spinal cord. Cysts were localized as follows: 47.9% in the dorsal subarachnoid, 46.9% in the parenchyma, 4.4% in the subarachnoid base and 0.9% in the ventricles. The results of the histopathology revealed lesions in an early inflammatory stage, i.e. stage I, in all anatomical locations except for two, which showed more of an inflammatory reaction, stage III, in one pig. It was concluded that clinical signs in pigs were neither pathognomonic nor consistent. These signs, therefore, cannot be used as a reliable indicator of porcine NCC. Furthermore, T. solium cysts were found to be in abundance in all cerebral lobes, and only a few were found in the cerebellum. Regarding the inflammatory response, no significant differences were found in the location and total number of cysts. Thus, further studies are needed to explain the determinants of cyst distribution in the CNS and assess in detail clinical signs associated with porcine NCC.

Immunology of Taenia solium taeniasis and human cysticercosis.

The life cycle of Taenia solium, the pork tapeworm, is continuously closed in many rural settings in developing countries when free roaming pigs ingest human stools containing T. solium eggs and develop cysticercosis, and humans ingest pork infected with cystic larvae and develop intestinal taeniasis, or may also accidentally acquire cysticercosis by faecal-oral contamination. Cysticercosis of the human nervous system, neurocysticercosis, is a major cause of seizures and other neurological morbidity in most of the world. The dynamics of exposure, infection and disease as well as the location of parasites result in a complex interaction which involves immune evasion mechanisms and involutive or progressive disease along time. Moreover, existing data are limited by the relative lack of animal models. This manuscript revises the available information on the immunology of human taeniasis and cysticercosis.

Identification and culture of proliferative cells in abnormal Taenia solium larvae: Role in the development of racemose neurocysticercosis.

Racemose neurocysticercosis is an aggressive disease caused by the aberrant expansion of the cyst form of Taenia solium within the subarachnoid spaces of the human brain and spinal cord resulting in a mass effect and chronic inflammation. Although expansion is likely caused by the proliferation and growth of the parasite bladder wall, there is little direct evidence of the mechanisms that underlie these processes. Since the development and growth of cysts in related cestodes involves totipotential germinative cells, we hypothesized that the expansive growth of the racemose larvae is organized and maintained by germinative cells. Here, we identified proliferative cells expressing the serine/threonine-protein kinase plk1 by in situ hybridization. Proliferative cells were present within the bladder wall of racemose form and absent from the homologous tissue surrounding the vesicular form. Cyst proliferation in the related model species Taenia crassiceps (ORF strain) occurs normally by budding from the cyst bladder wall and proliferative cells were concentrated within the growth buds. Cells isolated from bladder wall of racemose larvae were established in primary cell culture and insulin stimulated their proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. These findings indicate that the growth of racemose larvae is likely due to abnormal cell proliferation. The different distribution of proliferative cells in the racemose larvae and their sensitivity to insulin may reflect significant changes at the cellular and molecular levels involved in their tumor-like growth. Parasite cell cultures offer a powerful tool to characterize the nature and formation of the racemose form, understand the developmental biology of T. solium, and to identify new effective drugs for treatment.

A novel, sequencing-free strategy for the functional characterization of Taenia solium proteomic fingerprint.

The flatworm Taenia solium causes human and pig cysticercosis. When cysticerci are established in the human central nervous system, they cause neurocysticercosis, a potentially fatal disease. Neurocysticercosis is a persisting public health problem in rural regions of Mexico and other developing countries of Latin America, Asia, and Africa, where the infection is endemic. The great variability observed in the phenotypic and genotypic traits of cysticerci result in a great heterogeneity in the patterns of molecules secreted by them within their host. This work is aimed to identify and characterize cysticercal secretion proteins of T. solium cysticerci obtained from 5 naturally infected pigs from Guerrero, Mexico, using 2D-PAGE proteomic analysis. The isoelectric point (IP) and molecular weight (MW) of the spots were identified using the software ImageMaster 2D Platinum v.7.0. Since most secreted proteins are impossible to identify by mass spectrometry (MS) due to their low concentration in the sample, a novel strategy to predict their sequence was applied. In total, 108 conserved and 186 differential proteins were identified in five cysticercus cultures. Interestingly, we predicted the sequence of 14 proteins that were common in four out of five cysticercus cultures, which could be used to design vaccines or diagnostic methods for neurocysticercosis. A functional characterization of all sequences was performed using the algorithms SecretomeP, SignalP, and BlastKOALA. We found a possible link between signal transduction pathways in parasite cells and human cancer due to deregulation in signal transduction pathways. Bioinformatics analysis also demonstrated that the parasite release proteins by an exosome-like mechanism, which could be of biological interest.

Taenia solium taeniasis/cysticercosis: From parasite biology and immunology to diagnosis and control.

Infection with the pork tapeworm (Taenia solium) is responsible for a substantial global burden of disease, not only restricted to its impact on human health, but also resulting in a considerable economic burden to smallholder pig farmers due to pig cysticercosis infection. The life-cycle, parasitology and immunology of T. solium are complex, involving pigs (the intermediate host, harbouring the larval metacestode stage), humans (the definitive host, harbouring the adult tapeworm, in addition to acting as accidental intermediate hosts) and the environment (the source of infection with eggs/proglottids). We review the parasitology, immunology, and epidemiology of the infection associated with each of the T. solium life-cycle stages, including the pre-adult/adult tapeworm responsible for human taeniasis; post-oncosphere and cysticercus associated with porcine and human cysticercosis, and the biological characteristics of eggs in the environment. We discuss the burden associated, in endemic settings, with neurocysticercosis (NCC) in humans, and the broader cross-sectoral economic impact associated both with NCC and porcine cysticercosis, the latter impacting food-value chains. Existing tools for diagnostics and control interventions that target different stages of the T. solium transmission cycle are reviewed and their limitations discussed. Currently, no national T. solium control programmes have been established in endemic areas, with further work required to identify optimal strategies according to epidemiological setting. There is increasing evidence suggesting that cross-sectoral interventions which target the parasite in both the human and pig host provide the most effective approaches for achieving control and ultimately elimination. We discuss future avenues for research on T. solium to support the attainment of the goals proposed in the revised World Health Organisation neglected tropical diseases roadmap for 2021-2030 adopted at the 73rd World Health Assembly in November 2020.

Case Report: Disseminated Cysticercosis due to Intentional Ingestion of Parasitic Worm Eggs for Weight Loss.

A 20-year-old female resident of Beijing intended to consume the eggs of the parasitic worm, Taenia saginata, for weight loss; however, she apparently inadvertently ingested Taenia solium (pork tapeworm) eggs, which resulted in disseminated cysticercosis. Cysticerci developed in the brain, tongue, muscles, liver, peritoneum, and subcutaneous tissues. She was administered oral albendazole and praziquantel. After four 10-day courses of treatment, most of the cysts disappeared and she recovered. After 3 years, the patient remains in good health.

Differentiating Taenia eggs found in human stools: does Ziehl-Neelsen staining help?

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether Ziehl-Neelsen staining can differentiate Taenia solium from Taenia saginata eggs. METHODS: Tapeworm proglottids (33 specimens, 23 T. solium and 10 T. saginata) and eggs (31 specimens, 13 T. solium and 18 T. saginata) were stained. Four eggs from each sample were measured and average diameters were recorded. RESULTS: Taenia saginata eggs stained entirely magenta in seven of 13 cases. Taenia solium eggs stained entirely blue/purple in 4/18 cases and entirely magenta in one. Eggs of T. saginata were slightly larger and always ovoid, while T. solium eggs were smaller and mostly spheric. CONCLUSIONS: Ziehl-Neelsen staining can occasionally distinguish fully mature T. solium from T. saginata eggs, but this distinction is neither very sensitive nor completely specific. Differential staining suggests differences in embryophore components between species which become evident with egg maturation. In this small series, egg morphology (shape, maximal diameter) provided appropriate differentiation between T. solium and T. saginata eggs.

Progesterone induces scolex evagination of the human parasite Taenia solium: evolutionary implications to the host-parasite relationship.

Taenia solium cysticercosis is a health problem in underdeveloped and developed countries. Sex hormones are involved in cysticercosis prevalence in female and male pigs. Here, we evaluated the effects of progesterone and its antagonist RU486 on scolex evagination, which is the initial step in the development of the adult worm. Interestingly, progesterone increased T. solium scolex evagination and worm growth, in a concentration-independent pattern. Progesterone effects could be mediated by a novel T. solium progesterone receptor (TsPR), since RU486 inhibits both scolex evagination and worm development induced by progesterone. Using RT-PCR and western blot, sequences related to progesterone receptor were detected in the parasite. A phylogenetic analysis reveals that TsPR is highly related to fish and amphibian progesterone receptors, whereas it has a distant relation with birds and mammals. Conclusively, progesterone directly acts upon T. solium cysticerci, possibly through its binding to a progesterone receptor synthesized by the parasite.

Neurocysticercosis: radiologic-pathologic correlation.

Neurocysticercosis is a neurologic parasitic disease caused by the encysted larva of the tapeworm Taenia solium and is the most important parasitic disease of the human central nervous system. It is the most common cause of acquired epilepsy in endemic settings and constitutes a public health challenge for most of the developing world. Nowadays, however, as a result of globalization, neurocysticercosis is being seen more frequently in developed countries as well. Neurocysticercosis is acquired through fecal-oral contamination, and the disease course is complex, with two intermediate hosts (ie, pigs and humans) and a definitive host (humans). Traditionally, it has been classified into active and nonactive forms according to disease location. Radiologists must be aware of its imaging appearance, which is quite variable, as is the differential diagnosis. Imaging findings depend on several factors, including the stage of the life cycle of T solium at presentation; the number and location (ie, subarachnoid, cisternal, or intraventricular) of parasites; and associated complications such as vascular involvement (ie, arteritis with or without infarction), inflammatory response (ie, edema, gliosis, or arachnoiditis), and, in ventricular forms, degree of obstruction. Thus, the diagnostic approach, management, and prognosis for neurocysticercosis differ widely depending on the type of infection.

The effect of temperature and time on the viability of Taenia solium metacestodes in pork.

OBJECTIVE: Taenia solium taeniosis is a growing health problem in large parts of the world including Sub-Saharan Africa. Humans are infected by eating undercooked pork with T. solium metacestodes, which cause taeniosis. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of increasing temperatures on T. solium metacestode viability in pork. METHODS: Heavily T. solium infected pieces of pork were cooked in a water-bath at five different temperatures (40 °C, 50 °C, 60 °C, 70 °C and 80 °C) for 10-60 min. At each temperature/time point, five 5x5x5 cm pieces of pork fitted with thermometers at the core were placed in the water-bath. Controls were kept at 5 °C throughout exposure. After exposure, approximately 100 intact metacestodes were harvested and after a maximum of 6 h incubation at 37 °C in a culture media consisting of 50% porcine bile and 50% saline, the metacestodes were evaluated for viability. RESULTS: The metacestodes were fully viable after cooking at a core temperature of 40 °C for up to an hour. The metacestodes were non-viable after cooking for >40 min at a core temperature over 50 °C. All metacestodes were dead after cooking for 30 min at a core temperature of 60 °C; at 70 °C, non-viability was found after 20 min and all metacestodes were dead after 10 min cooking at 80 °C. CONCLUSION: Findings showed that pork pieces cooked at >80 °C for >10 min proved safe for human consumption. This means that dishes consisting of pork pieces in sizes not greater than a 5 cm cube which are immersed in continuously boiling water for at least 10 min would be safe to eat. However, pork deep-fried in oil may entail a risk due to generally shorter cooking time. More research on the cooking practises is needed in order to produce safe guidelines for risk-free pork consumption.

In vitro model of postoncosphere development, and in vivo infection abilities of Taenia solium and Taenia saginata.

Taenia solium is known to cause human cysticercosis while T. saginata does not. Comparative in vitro and in vivo studies on the oncosphere and the postoncospheral (PO) forms of T. solium and T. saginata may help to elucidate why cysticercosis can occur from one and not the other. The aim of this study was to use in vitro culture assays and in vivo models to study the differences in the development of the T. solium and T. saginata oncosphere. Furthermore, this study aimed to evaluate the expression of cytokines and metalloproteinases (MMPs) in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), which were stimulated by these oncospheres and PO antigens. T. solium and T. saginata activated oncospheres (AO) were cultured in INT-407 and HCT-8 intestinal cells for 180 days. The T. solium began to die while the T. saginata grew for 180 days and developed to cysticerci in INT-407 cells. Rats were inoculated intracranially with AO and PO forms of either T. saginata or T. solium. Rats infected with T. solium AO and PO forms developed neurocysticercosis (NCC), while those infected with the T. saginata did not. Human PMBCs were stimulated with antigens of AO and PO forms of both species, and the production of cytokines and metalloproteinases (MMPs) was measured. The T. solium AO antigen stimulated a higher production of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IFN-γ, and IL-2 cytokines compared to T. saginata AO. In the PO form, the T. saginata PO antigen increased the production of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IFN-γ, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α and IL-12 cytokines compared to T. solium, suggesting that this global immune response stimulated by different forms could permit survival or destruction of the parasite depending of their life-cycle stage. Regarding MMPs, T. solium AO antigen stimulated a higher production of MMP-9 compared to T. saginata AO antigen, which may be responsible for altering the permeability of intestinal cells and facilitating breakdown of the blood-brain barrier during the process of invasion of host tissue.

Distribution of Taenia solium Diagnostic Glycoproteins in the Different Developmental Stages of the Parasite.

Taenia solium is a helminth parasite that causes 2 diseases in humans: cysticercosis and taeniasis. The establishment of T. solium metacestodes in the central nervous system causes neurocysticercosis, while development of the adult tapeworm in the small intestine causes taeniasis. Serological diagnosis of neurocysticercosis is performed by Western blot with an enriched fraction of glycoproteins that has been extensively used for clinical diagnosis and epidemiological surveys. The lectin-bound fraction that is used for this assay contains 7 antigenic glycoproteins. These antigenic proteins are considered to be highly specific for cysticercosis when tested with heterologous parasitic diseases. However, recent studies show that people with taeniasis have cross-reactive antibodies against the neurocysticercosis diagnostic glycoproteins and vice versa. Nevertheless, it is not known if these diagnostic proteins are expressed in the adult stage of the parasite. In this paper, we describe the location of 3 of these glycoproteins in T. solium adults and cysticerci using polyclonal antibodies raised against a synthetic peptide based on the amino acid sequence of TS14, a recombinant protein T24H, and the native GP50. The glycoproteins' distribution was different in invaginated and evaginated cysticerci as well as in adult tapeworms. Specifically, the 3 glycoproteins studied were differentially expressed during embryogenesis. Our findings indicate that expression of the diagnostic glycoproteins is developmentally regulated; this is noteworthy since these glycoproteins are considered specific for the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis but nevertheless are present in different structures throughout the development of T. solium. Here we describe the glycoprotein expression and localization, which can be important in understanding their biological functions. In addition, our results help clarify the cross-reaction observed between people with neurocysticercosis and taeniasis to TS14, T24H, and GP50, which are used as diagnostic antigens for neurocysticercosis.

Human and porcine neurocysticercosis: differences in the distribution and developmental stages of cysticerci.

OBJECTIVE: To describe and compare the clinical impacts of neurocysticercosis (NC) caused by Taenia solium in humans and pigs. METHODS: Comparative study of the brains of 16 asymptomatic pigs and 35 human NC cases (15 asymptomatic and 20 symptomatic). RESULTS: In humans, cysticerci were more frequently located in the ventricles and subarachnoid space at the base of the brain (11.8%vs. 1.6%; P = 0.001 and 25.9%vs. 0%; P < 0.0001, respectively) while in pigs, cysticerci were more frequently found in the parenchyma (44.4%vs. 7.6%; P < 0.0001). In human brains, 75.9% of the cysticerci were calcified, while in pigs all cysticerci were in the vesicular stage. CONCLUSION: The duration of infection and the host-parasite relationship (such as immune reactivity and brain haemodynamics) differ between humans and pigs. This may account for the different distribution and stage of the cysticerci among humans and pigs.

A review of taeniasis and cysticercosis in the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Taeniasis and cysticercosis are important but underreported parasitic zoonoses in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). Reports of human and pig cysticercosis are rather limited and based largely on anecdotal evidence. To date, no structured surveys of disease prevalence or incidence have been reported. However, one unpublished pilot survey of pig cysticercosis in a slaughterhouse in northern Laos estimated prevalence to be 1.7%, without speciation of parasite cysts. Over the past 20 years, nine surveys of intestinal helminthic infection have been conducted; the prevalence of human taeniasis ranged from 0 to 14.0%. The study designs and sample sizes varied greatly, however a high degree of spatial and age variation in taeniasis prevalence was evident. These results are however inconclusive as the species of tapeworm infecting the people was not determined. To further our knowledge of taeniasis and cysticercosis in Lao PDR, structured community-based surveys in high-risk areas are required in combination with the use of sensitive and specific diagnostic tests capable of identifying the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium. This will enable the development and implementation of control measures that are both appropriate and sustainable if T. solium is shown to be a public health threat.

What triggers seizures in neurocysticercosis? A MRI-based study in pig farming community from a district of North India.

Colloidal and calcified cysts are considered responsible for seizure in neurocysticercosis (NCC); however, calcified cysts have also been reported in asymptomatic individuals. We carried out a MRI-based study in a rural pig farming community of North India to detect the various stages, locations and numbers of the cyst in asymptomatic individuals and compared them with symptomatic NCC cases to see its association with occurrence of seizures. A total of 107 asymptomatic family members of 29 symptomatic NCC confirmed cases were evaluated clinically, immunologically and by neuroimaging for NCC. MRI-based staging of the parasite was done in both groups, and compared to look for the differences, if any. Thirty-one (29.0%) asymptomatic family members of symptomatic cases were diagnosed to have NCC. There was no difference in proportion of colloidal/degenerating and calcified stages of the parasite between symptomatic and asymptomatic groups; however, significantly higher proportion of the asymptomatic populations had vesicular stage of the parasite (P=0.029). Our findings show that a large number of individuals harboring different stages of cysticerci in their brain remain symptoms free and question the belief that the degenerating/calcified stages of the parasite are primarily responsible for seizure occurrence in NCC.

Prevalence of human cysticercosis and taeniasis in rural Goa, India.

A cross sectional study among 450 individuals selected by strafified random sampling was carried out in rural Goa to find out the prevalence of cysticercosis and taeniasis, as well as to study the role of various factors associated with this diseases. The study participants were administered a pre-tested structured questionnaire and subsequently blood and stool samples were examined. SPSS software was used to analyze the data statistically. The sero-prevalence of cysterosis was 22.4%, which increased with age. Prevalence of taeniasis was 9.7% by stool examination. Individuals with taeniasis were thrice more likely to have cysticercosis; however no association between sero-positivity for cysterosis and pork consumption as well as religion could be established. The study confirmed a high sero-prevalence of cysticercosis in Goa underscoring the need to general awareness about good cooking habits and sanitation.