Seroepidemiological study of human cysticercosis with blood samples collected on filter paper, in Lages, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil, 2004-2005

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Human serofrequency of antibodies against Taenia solium antigens was determined and risk factors for cysticercosis transmission were identified. METHODS: Individuals (n=878) from periurban and rural locations of Lages, SC, were interviewed to gather demographic, sanitary and health information. Interviews and blood sample collections by finger prick on Whatman filter paper were performed from August 2004 to May 2005. Observation determined that 850 samples were suitable for analysis and were tested by ELISA using vesicular fluid of Taenia crassiceps heterologous antigen. To ensure the reliability of the results, 77 samples of the dried blood were matched with sera. The reactive samples were submitted to a serum confirmatory immunoblot (IB) test using purified Taenia crassiceps glycoproteins. RESULTS: The ELISA results for the dried blood and serum samples were statistically consistent. ELISA was positive in 186 (21.9%) out of 850 individuals. A group of 213 individuals were asked to collect vein blood for IB (186 with positive result in ELISA and 27 with inappropriate whole blood samples) and 130 attended the request. The IB was positive in 29 (3.4%) out of 850 individuals. A significant correlation (p = 0.0364) was determined among individuals who tested positive in the IB assay who practiced both pig rearing and kitchen gardening. CONCLUSIONS: ELISA with dried blood eluted from filter paper was suitable for cysticercosis population surveys. In Lages, human infection was associated with pig rearing and kitchen gardening. The prevalence index was compatible with other Latin American endemic areas.

Seroprevalence and risk factors of cysticercosis in two rural communities from northern of Anzoátegui state, Venezuela

“…En Latinoamérica, se han hecho varios estudios epidemiológicos que demuestran la relevancia de la enfermedad, principalmente en Perú (11-13), México (14-16), Brasil (17)(18)(19), Ecuador (20) y Colombia (21). En un trabajo de 2014 en Colombia, se describió la cisticercosis como una enfermedad desatendida y reemergente (22), al igual que en un gran estudio del 2013, en el cual se analizaron 23.960 muestras provenientes de 23 departamentos colombianos, incluida la capital, y se obtuvo una seroprevalencia general de 8,55 %, con un rango entre 0,53 y 40,19 % (23).…”

Taeniosis and Cysticercosis

“…In Latin America, several epidemiological studies demonstrated the relevance of the disease in Mexico (Fleury et al 2010), Peru , and Brazil (Ishida et al 2011). Other authors confirmed the significance of taeniosis/cysticercosis in Guatemala (García-Noval et al 1996), Honduras (Sánchez et al 1999), Bolivia (Carrique-Mas et al 2001), Ecuador (Rodríguez-Hidalgo et al 2006, Colombia (Sanzón et al 2002), and Venezuela (Ferrer et al 2003a;Cortez et al 2010); more recently, a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature found a consistent association between epilepsy and NCC in Latin American countries (Bruno et al 2013).…”

Seropositivity to Cysticercosis in School-Age Children Living in a Low-Income Municipality in the Midwest Region of Brazil

“…In another study, a prevalence of 5.7% was reported for IgG antibody detection in a rural settlement in São Paulo ( 9 ). In the southern region, CC seroprevalence was 3.4% in Lages-SC ( 10 ). In the Midwest, a study demonstrated a seroprevalence of 13.8% for CC in adults living in the municipality of Jataí-GO ( 11 ).…”