Taeniosis-cysticercosis complex in individuals of a peasants' settlement (Teodoro Sampaio, Pontal of Paranapanema, SP, Brazil)

Abstract

In order to evaluate the taeniosis-cysticercosis complex in a population of a peasants ' settlement, located at Teodoro Sampaio, state of São Paulo, Brazil (longitude 52°36'12", latitude 22°17'12") The taeniosis-cysticercosis complex is an important cause of morbidity and mortality, widespread not only in most underdeveloped countries, but also in industrialized ones (Raether & Hanel 2003). There is strong evidence supporting the high prevalence of Taenia infection in humans from resource-poor areas, especially in rural areas with deficient sanitation, low hygienic standards, and unusual customs, such as consumption of raw pork (Phiri et al. 2003).Taenia solium and Taenia saginata are two taenids of great economic and medical importance, causing bovine and porcine cysticercosis and taeniosis in humans. The encysted larva, known as cysticercus from T. saginata and T. solium are found in cattle and swine, respectively, and the adult tapeworm of T. saginata and T. solium are found in man. The cycle is completed when eggs in proglottids shed from the human tapeworm are disseminated to the environment through feces, followed by the ingestion by cattle or swine, and then the viable cysts are eaten by man in undercooked beef (Lees et al. 2002). People are also infected by ingestion of T. solium or T. saginata eggs by contact with carriers or contaminated foods. Cysticercosis is an infection caused by cysticercus, the larval stage of Cestoda Family Taeniidae. Neurocysticercosis (NC), the nervous-system form of cysticercosis is caused by larvae of tapeworm T. solium (Carpio 2002).In Brazil, several previous studies have shown that NC in humans is an important public-health problem; although, very few reports on the prevalence and distribution of porcine cysticercosis have been published (Sakai et al. 2001). In the state of São Paulo, the frequency of anti-T. solium cysticercus antibodies in humans was determined in few counties (Vaz et al. 1990, Bragazza et al. 2002. Nonetheless, studies about the prevalence of T. saginata infection in humans or the presence of T. saginata cysticercus in cattle are scarce (Ungar & Germano 1992). Dias et al. (1991) found in 311 samples of stools of humans living in the state of São Paulo an occurrence of 0.5% in Taenia sp. eggs; of which 273 were identified as T. saginata proglottidis.The ELISA screening test is commonly used for the serological diagnosis of cysticercosis, although it crossreacts with cestoda parasites such as Hymenolepis nana and Echinococcus granulosos (Garcia et al. 2003, Ishida et al. 2003. Low-molecular-weight glycoproteins obtained from T. solium by affinity chromatography, considerably improved the specificity of ELISA screening tests, but a large amount of antigens is required (Tsang et al. 1989). Recently, it has successfully been reported the use of low-molecular-weight peptides obtained from the vesicular fluid of T. crassiceps antigens (Tcra-VF) and T. crassiceps cysticercus glycoproteins (Tcra-GP and Tcra(18-14)-GP in ELISA and immunoblot assays , Ishida e...

Seroprevalence of antibodies (IgG) to Taenia solium among pig rearers and associated risk factors in Jos metropolis, Nigeria

“…This statistic agrees with those of other reports that the life cycle of the cestode is sustained due to deficient sanitary infrastructures, which permit free-ranging pigs access to contaminated feces from a tapeworm carrier and that the contact of swine and people with infected human feces are among factors promoting and maintaining such disease transmission [9,11,12,32]. Individuals who wash their hands with soap following each toilet use had the least seroprevalence (1.6%) compared to those who do not wash their hands with soap (8.9%).…”

“…Apart from the public health risk, T. Solium infection contributes to high levels of neurologic morbidity and some mortality in developing countries [6][7][8]. The cestode T. solium is cosmopolitan in distribution and highly endemic in Latin America, Africa and Asia where poverty, poor sanitation, and intimate contact between humans and their livestock are common place [9][10][11]. Cysticercosis has been cited by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization for the United Nations (FAO) as one of the neglected zoonotic diseases, and one of a few potentially eradicable diseases [12], but it is now an emerging zoonoses [13].…”

Seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis, toxocariasis and cysticercosis in a rural settlement, São Paulo State, Brazil

“…Dozens of new settlements have been formed in the past decades in the Pontal of Paranapanema region, and there are disputes over land between landless workers and cattle farmers. 14 Throughout the country, the families in these settlements live in plastic huts with marginal roads, sometimes for periods as long as 2-4 years. These settlements are characterized by poor living conditions, deficient potable water supplies and sanitary facilities and could be a source for parasitic infections.…”

“…These settlements are characterized by poor living conditions, deficient potable water supplies and sanitary facilities and could be a source for parasitic infections. 14,15 The Pontal of Paranapanema is one of the poorest and most undeveloped regions of the Sã o Paulo state, in southeastern Brazil. This region contains the highest density of rural settlements in the country.…”

Environmental contamination by Toxocara spp. Eggs in a rural settlement in Brazil

“…Conversely, Pontal do Paranapanema, in the western region, is one of the poorest and undeveloped regions of the state, and is characterized by large cattle-raising farms. Since 1982, the landless population has increased dramatically because of increased pressure over land owners, and has resulted in highest number of landless squatters and settlements in Brazil 14 . The increasing number of people living in the settlements, often in plastic-hut located on marginal lands or next to highways near cattle raising areas and water sources, with poorresources and precarious living conditions, inadequate sanitary care and sanitary education, associated to presence of pets, represents an important source of environmental contamination by parasites, which may favor the establishment of the biologic life cycle of parasites such as Toxocara spp.…”