Seroprevalence of porcine cysticercosis in traditional farms in South-Eastern Côte d'Ivoire.

Background: Porcine cysticercosis is an endemic parasitic zoonosis in many developing countries. The objective of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of porcine cysticercosis in traditional pig farms in the departments of Dabou, Aboisso and Agboville. Methods: Blood samples were taken from pigs and analyzed by ELISA (IgG) and western blot. Data on farming practices and pig characteristics were collected. Multivariate logistic regression models were constructed to identify risk factors. Results: A total of 668 pigs were sampled from 116 farms and 639 samples were analyzed. The seroprevalence of cysticercosis was estimated at 13.2%. Overweight [OR = 2.6; 95%CI (1.3-4.9)] and fat pigs [OR = 2.3; 95%CI (1.0-4.8)] were twice as likely to be seropositive for cysticercosis. This risk was increased in farms using well water for drinking [OR = 2.5; 95%CI (1.0-6.3)] as well as those reporting veterinary care of the animals (OR = 2.9; 95%CI (1.2-7.3)). Conclusions: This study demonstrated the circulation of Taenia solium in pig farms in southern Côte d'Ivoire.

Seroprevalence of Cysticercosis among Epileptic Patients Attending Neurological Units in the Urban Area of Abidjan.

Cysticercosis is one of the main causes of secondary epilepsy in sub-Saharan Africa. To estimate the seroprevalence of cysticercosis among epileptic patients, we conducted a cross-sectional study of patients attending neurology consultation in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Methods: Patients' socio-demographic and lifestyle data were collected as well as blood samples for serological testing using ELISA and Western blot based on IgG antibodies detection. For qualitative variables comparison, Chi2 or Fisher tests were used; a Student's t-test was used to compare quantitative variables. A multivariate logistic regression model was fit to identify risks factors. Results: Among 403 epileptic patients included in the study, 55.3% were male; the median age was 16.9 years; 77% lived in Abidjan; 26.5% were workers. Most patients included in the study had tonic-clonic seizures (80%), and 11.2% had focal deficit signs. The seroprevalence of cysticercosis was 6.0%. The risk was higher in patients over 30 years old (aOR = 5.1 (1.3-20.0)) than in patients under 16. The risk was also considerably high in patients who reported epileptics in the family (aOR = 5 (1.7-14.6)). The risk was three-fold less in females than in males. Conclusions: This study highlighted the exposure of epileptic patients to Taenia solium larvae in an urban area. The risk of positive serology was increased with age, male gender, and family history of epilepsy.

Taenia solium cysticercosis in West Africa: status update.

Cysticercosis is caused by the larvae of the cestode Taenia solium. Few data are available on the prevalence of this disease in pigs and humans in West African countries. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of existing data concerning the spread of this parasitosis in the countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the basis of the literature published over the last five decades. Systematic searches for publications were carried out on PubMed and Google Scholar, as well as in certain regional and local journals. From a total of 501 articles initially retrieved concerning T. solium cysticercosis in West African countries, only 120 articles were relevant for this review and therefore finally retained. For pigs, only eight out of sixteen countries of the region have reported porcine cysticercosis. Post-mortem examination of carcasses at slaughterhouses, meat inspection at butcheries or tongue inspection in herds have been the main source of data, but may not entirely reflect actual parasite distribution. For humans, only five out of sixteen countries reported epidemiological data on neurocysticercosis. Most data referred to neurocysticercosis prevalence among epileptic patients or isolated clinical cases. Furthermore, existing data are often old. Overall, T. solium cysticercosis remains largely neglected in West Africa, and its prevalence appears not to be affected by any religion in particular. There is an urgent need to promote and implement health partnerships and programs on this disease in order to collect more data and identify sensitive populations in the countries of the ECOWAS area.

TITLE: La cysticercose à Taenia solium en Afrique de l'Ouest : état des lieux. ABSTRACT: La cysticercose est causée par les larves du cestode Taenia solium. Peu de données sont disponibles sur la prévalence de cette maladie chez les porcs et les humains dans les pays d'Afrique de l'Ouest. Le but de cette étude est de fournir un aperçu des données existantes concernant la propagation de cette parasitose dans les pays de la Communauté économique des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (CEDEAO) sur la base de la littérature publiée au cours des cinq dernières décennies. Des recherches systématiques de publications ont été effectuées sur PubMed, Google Scholar, ainsi que sur certaines revues régionales et locales. Sur un total de 501 articles initialement récupérés et concernant la cysticercose à T. solium dans les pays d'Afrique de l'Ouest, seuls 120 articles étaient pertinents pour cet examen et ont donc finalement été retenus. Pour les porcs, seulement huit des seize pays de la région ont signalé une cysticercose porcine. L'examen post mortem des carcasses dans les abattoirs, l'inspection de la viande dans les boucheries ou l'inspection de la langue dans le troupeau ont été la principale source de données, mais peuvent ne pas refléter entièrement la répartition réelle des parasites. Pour l'homme, seuls cinq pays sur seize ont rapporté des données épidémiologiques sur la neurocysticercose. La plupart des données se référaient à la prévalence de la neurocysticercose chez les épileptiques ou les cas cliniques isolés. De plus, les données existantes sont souvent anciennes. Dans l'ensemble, la cysticercose à T. solium reste largement négligée en Afrique de l'Ouest et sa prévalence ne semble être affectée par aucune religion en particulier. Il est urgent de promouvoir et de mettre en œuvre des partenariats et des programmes de santé sur cette maladie afin de collecter davantage de données et d'identifier les populations sensibles dans les pays de la zone CEDEAO.