RESUMO
Taenia saginata is a zoonotic tapeworm that causes diseases in cattle and humans. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between June and July 2021 in Kajiado County, Kenya, to estimate the seroprevalence of Taenia saginata cysts in cattle presented for slaughter in Kitengela, Kiserian, and Keekonyokie slaughterhouses; determine the annual hospital reported cases of T. saginata in humans that visited all level 4 hospitals in Kajiado County between 2015 and 2021; and assess the risk factors for Taenia saginata in humans. Analyzed data in this study revealed that the seroprevalence of Taenia saginata cysts in cattle in the selected slaughterhouses was 2.67% (4/150). The meat inspectors recorded no cysts during the study period, confirming that antibody ELISA is three times as sensitive as meat inspection. Data from hospital records showed that a total of 1,487,687 patients visited different facilities in Kajiado County between 2015 and 2021. During the same period, 29 patients were diagnosed with human taeniasis. From the risk factors assessed, uninspected home slaughter (75%), consumption of raw/improperly cooked beef (100%), and open defecation by herders (11%) still pose a risk to humans getting infected by Taenia saginata, while the presence and use of latrines (89%) and availability, accessibility, and use of taenicides (89%) seem to have significantly contributed to the reduction of Taenia saginata prevalence in this region. It is recommended that control of the infection should be centered towards continuous focused education coupled with regular deworming of the herders and school going children. This will gradually result in behavior and culture change that will ultimately reduce the prevalence and lead to the elimination of the disease.
RESUMO
The larval forms of Echinococcus granulosus were surgically removed from Turkana hydatid patients and studied on the electron microscope. It was found that the larval forms "hydatid cyst" consists of a protective laminated layer that surrounds the germinal layer. The germinal layer is made up of numerous germinal cells that transform to brood capsules within which protoscolices are formed. Protoscolices are formed from accumulations of undifferentiated germinal cells. The brood capsule wall is similar to germinal layer and they were found to contain numerous invaginated protoscolices. The invaginated protoscolices were of various sizes and they were not attached to the wall of the brood capsule. The evaginated protoscolex has two body regions, the head (scolex) and body (soma). The scolex is covered by numerous long microtriches whereas the soma is covered with few short microtriches.
RESUMO
A fundamental feature of Echinococcus granulosus infection is its chronicity. There are many reasons for this, including weak natural immunity and the ability of the larval stages to evade or resist elimination by the hosts' specific immune responses. To identify the types of hosts' cellular immune response, a series of ultrastructral studies of hydatid cysts surgically removed from Turkana patients was conducted based on transmission electron microscopy. Ultrastructurally, the ectocyst (adventitial layer) is organised into three layers; an inner layer containing mainly the infiltrating mononuclear leukocytes; a middle, loose connective tissue layer with inflammatory cells mainly plasma cells, fibroblasts, scant neutrophils, eosinophils and lymphocytes, and an outer loose connective tissue layer that blends with the surrounding host tissue. The mast cells and basophils were not observed. This study has showm that the adventitial layer of hydatid cysts infiltrated by leukocytes, principally by macrophages and plasma cells.