Population-based survey of taeniasis along the United States–Mexico border

Abstract

Taenia solium and T. saginata are zoonotic tapeworms of substantial medical and economic importance. Although human taeniasis is widely recognised as an endemic problem in Mexico, its presence in the United States is poorly understood. The first population-based study to estimate the prevalence of human infection with Taenia tapeworms along the Texas-Mexico border has recently been conducted. Households were interviewed in the Texan city of El Paso and in the neighbouring Ciudad Juárez, in Mexico. Faecal samples from household members were then checked for Taenia eggs by flotation and/or for Taenia copro-antigens in an ELISA. The overall prevalence of taeniasis in this border region was found to be 3% but, compared with the residents of Juárez, El Paso residents were 8.6-fold more likely to be tapeworm carriers. The interviews revealed some important differences between the two study sites, particularly the more frequent use of anthelminthic drugs on the Mexican side of the border. These findings have implications in terms of the planning of effective health-education campaigns to decrease the prevalence of taeniasis in the human populations along the Texas-Mexico border.

Hyperendemic H. Pylori and Tapeworm Infections in a U.S.-Mexico Border Population

“…have been previously described. 3 Briefly, we used microscopy after centrifugal fecal flotation (Sheather's sugar solution) to isolate helminth eggs and larvae. We measured Taenia infection using a copro-antigens enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test previously developed and validated.…”

Challenges and opportunities in detecting Taenia solium tapeworm carriers in Los Angeles County California, 2009–2014

“…Cases in the US have been identified previously through screening at risk populations [6,7] and by screening household members of neurocysticercosis cases [3,[8][9][10][11]. Taeniasis rates in LAC appear higher for men than women.…”

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

“…Human beings are the only definitive host and harbour the adult tapeworm (taeniasis), whereas both humans and pigs can act as intermediate hosts and harbour the larvae or cysticerci. Humans acquire cysticercosis/neurocysticercosis through feacal-oral contamination with T. solium eggs from tapeworm carriers [10,17,18]. However, autoinfection as a result of the entry of eggs into the stomach due to retroperistalsis or as a result of accidental ingestion of eggs from the host's own faeces due to contaminated hands is also possible [19,20].…”