Neurocysticercosis in an Orthodox Jewish Community in New York City

Abstract

A diagnosis of neurocysticercosis should be considered in patients with seizures and radiologic evidence of cystic brain lesions, even in those who do not eat pork and who have not traveled to a country in which T. solium infection is endemic. Recent emigrants from countries in which T. solium infection is endemic should be screened for tapeworm infection in their stools before they are employed as housekeepers or food handlers.

Neurocysticercosis: detection of IgG, IgA and IgE antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid, serum and saliva samples by ELISA with Taenia solium and Taenia crassiceps antigens

“…The biological parasite-host interactions involved in NC are complex because of the different evolutionary stages of the parasite and of the individual variations of the response of the host 6 . On the other hand, it is difficult to obtain appropriate antigens in sufficient amounts for the immunological tests from swine naturally infected with Taenia solium metacestode, of clandestine creation.…”

“…Its distribution is universal, being frequent in developing countries in Latin America, Africa, Asia and India [1][2][3][4][5] , and with cases reported in the United States due to the immigration of individuals coming from endemic areas 6 .…”

Small calcified lesions suggestive of neurocysticercosis are associated with mesial temporal sclerosis

“…Contact with pigs and a history of living (or having lived) in rural areas are not mandatory for the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis. Cases of neurocysticercosis have been reported in orthodox Jews in New York City, traced to contamination from a Central American house servant, and in other nonendemic areas 17 . However, living in rural areas, having domestic contact with pigs and harboring intestinal infection with Taenia solium increase the risk of recurrent infestation with eggs of the parasite, and of acquiring neurocysticercosis 16 .…”

A Retrospective Examination of Paleoparasitology and Its Establishment in the Journal of Parasitology

“…These findings documented the past occurrence of an epidemiological process relevant to contemporary public health issues and globalization. Although neither of the parasites illustrated in these examples would have established life cycles for successful transmission, the analogous process of importing workers and their parasitic infections facilitated an outbreak of Taenia solium neurocysticercosis in the orthodox Jewish community in New York City (Schantz et al, 1992).…”