Title
Evidence for Transmission of Taenia solium Taeniasis/Cysticercosis in a Rural Area of Northern Rwanda
Date Issued
20 April 2021
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Acosta Soto L.
Parker L.A.
Irisarri-Gutiérrez M.J.
Perez E.
Muñoz-Antoli C.
Esteban J.G.
Bornay-Llinares F.J.
Publisher(s)
Frontiers Media S.A.
Abstract
Cysticercosis is a parasitic infection caused by the metacestode larval stage (cysticercus) of Taenia solium. In humans, cysticercosis may infect the central nervous system and cause neurocysticercosis, which is responsible for over 50,000 deaths per year worldwide and is the major cause of preventable epilepsy cases, especially in low-income countries. Cysticercosis infection is endemic in many less developed countries where poor hygiene conditions and free-range pig management favor their transmission. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 680 children from a rural primary school in Gakenke district (Northern province of Rwanda). Stool samples were collected from participants and analyzed using the Kato-Katz method (KK), formol-ether concentration (FEC), and/or copro-antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (CoAg-ELISA) to detect taeniasis. Blood samples were collected and analyzed using enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB) and antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Ag-ELISA) to detect human cysticercosis. The overall proportion of taeniasis positivity was 0.3% (2/680), and both cases were also confirmed by CoAg-ELISA. A total of 13.3% (76/572) of the children studied were positive to cysticercosis (T. solium-specific serum antibodies detected by EITB), of whom 38.0% (27/71) had viable cysticercus (T. solium antigens by Ag-ELISA). This study provides evidence of the highest cysticercosis prevalence reported in Rwanda in children to date. Systematic investigations into porcine and human cysticercosis as well as health education and hygiene measures for T. solium control are needed in Gakenke district.
Volume
8
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Parasitología
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85105301166
Source
Frontiers in Veterinary Science
ISSN of the container
22971769
Sponsor(s)
The authors thank the Laboratory of Nemba Hospital for their technical support and assistance in laboratory and field work duties and Jacinte for her translation. We thank all families for their collaboration and enthusiasm throughout the study.
This work was mainly supported by the Consejería de Bienestar Social, Generalitat Valenciana, Spain (Grant Number: 3055/2009); Centro de Cooperación al Desarrollo y Voluntariado (Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Spain); and Programa de Becas Pre-doctorales Ciencias sin Fronteras (CAPES-Brasil). The funding bodies had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus