Several
reports on
taeniasis and
cysticercosis in
Vietnam show that they are distributed in over 50 of 63 provinces. In some endemic areas, the
prevalence of
taeniasis was 0.2-12.0% and that of
cysticercosis was 1.0-7.2%. The major symptoms of
taeniasis included fidgeted
anus, proglottids moving out of the
anus, and proglottids in the
feces. Clinical manifestations of
cysticercosis in
humans included subcutaneous nodules, epileptic seizures, severe headach, impaired
vision, and
memory loss. The species identification of
Taenia in
Vietnam included
Taenia asiatica,
Taenia saginata, and
Taenia solium based on combined morphology and molecular
methods. Only T. solium caused
cysticercosis in
humans.
Praziquantel was chosen for
treatment of
taeniasis and
albendazole for
treatment of
cysticercosis. The
infection rate of
cysticercus cellulosae in
pigs was 0.04% at Hanoi
slaughterhouses, 0.03-0.31% at provincial
slaughterhouses in the north, and 0.9% in provincial
slaughterhouses in the southern region of
Vietnam. The
infection rate of
cysticercus bovis in
cattle was 0.03-2.17% at Hanoi
slaughterhouses.
Risk factors investigated with regard to
transmission of
Taenia suggested that
consumption of raw
meat (
eating raw
meat 4.5-74.3%), inadequate or absent
meat inspection and control, poor
sanitation in some endemic areas, and use of untreated
human waste as a
fertilizer for
crops may
play important
roles in
Vietnam, although this remains to be validated.