Annual economic loss caused by Taenia saginata asiatica taeniasis in three endemic areas of east Asia.

The Taenia saginata-like tapeworm in East Asia has been designed as a separate subspecies of T. saginata. It was named as T. saginata asiatica and the classical T. saginata as T. saginata saginata. In the course of conducting experimental infections and morphological studies, a large number of adult worms of T. saginata asiatica was collected. It is possible to estimate the annual economic loss caused by this infection, since the worm load and the weight of worm habored by each infected person were determined from the collection. In the mountainous areas of Taiwan, the infection rate of T. saginata asiatica taeniasis was 11.0%, the worm load was 1.6 worms/case, and the average weight of an adult worm was 20.5 g. The annual economic loss was estimated to be US$ 11,327,423. On Cheju Island of Korea, the infection rate was 6.0%, the worm load was 2 worms/case, and the average weight of an adult worm was 19.3 g. The annual economic loss was estimated to be US$ 13,641,021. On Samosir Island of Indonesia, the infection rate was 21%, the worm load was 1.8 worms/case, and the average weight of an adult worm was 22 g. The annual economic loss was estimated to be US$ 2,425,500. These figures indicate that taeniasis is not only a significant public health problem but also an important economic problem in East Asia.

Economic losses resulting from food-borne parasitic zoonoses.

Economic losses resulting from food-borne parasitic zoonoses are difficult to assess. Estimating the global economic impact of these diseases is handicapped by inadequate information on the prevalence and public health importance of parasitic zoonoses for most countries. However, the economic losses caused by certain zoonoses has been estimated for some regions and in these instances the costs are significant. In Mexico, for example, porcine cysticercosis is responsible for a loss of more than one-half of the national investment in swine production and for more than US$17 million annually in hospitalization and treatment costs for humans with neurocysticercosis. For all of Latin America, porcine cysticercosis accounts for an economic loss of US$164 million. In Africa, losses of one to two billion dollars per year due to bovine cysticercosis have been reported. Human toxoplasmosis in the United States is estimated to be an annual economic/public health burden of more than US$400 million. The implication from these examples and other are discussed. A set of recommendations is presented for obtaining the necessary information needed to permit assigning to food-borne parasitic zoonoses their appropriate priority within each country's complex economic and public health problems.