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

Abstract

Introduction: In Nigeria, Taenia solium cysticercosis is a problem in rural areas where most pigs are kept and in urban areas where infected pork can be consumed. Methodology: We performed enzyme linked immunosorbent assays on serum samples collected from pig rearers in Jos, Nigeria, to determine the prevalence of IgG antibodies.Results: Of 125 subjects tested, 12 (9.6%) were positive for T. solium. Seroprevalence did not differ significantly (P>0.05) according to education, age, occupation, study location, gender or whether the subjects consumed pork. However, a statistical difference (P<0.05) in seroprevalence was observed according to type and availability of toilet used, personal hygiene after using the toilet, and type of pig management practiced. Females were about two times more likely to be seroprevalent than males (OR=1.7; 95% CI= 0.43-6.67; P=0.4) and subjects who consumed pork were four times more likely to have anti T. solium antibodies than those who did not eat pork (OR=4.2; 95%CI=0.52-33.57; P=0.2). Those who defecated in the bush were 8.3 times more likely to suffer from T. solium infection than those who used water system toilets (OR=8.3; 95%CI=1.56-43.7; P=0.01). Subjects who did not wash their hands after defecating were 6 times more likely to contract T. solium compared to those who washed their hands with water ( OR=5.5; 95% CI=1.39-21.89; P=0.01). Conclusion: Our results show that using a toilet and practicing good personal hygiene can reduce cases of T. solium infection in a community.

Seroprevalence of human cysticercosis and its associated risk factors among humans in areas of Kaduna metropolis, Nigeria

“…The prevalence of 14.3% (n = 300) obtained in this study is high compared to those reported elsewhere; 9.6%, 2.4%, and 1.3% reported in Jos [11], Togo, and Benin, respectively [15], but closer to the 16.3% (n = 544) reported in Mbulu community, Tanzania [16]. Other studies using similar antibody detecting techniques have reported prevalence of 7.4% in South Africa and 20.5% in Mozambique [6].…”

“…Both sexes are equally predisposed to infection; sex is not a risk factor. In contrast, however, some studies in Plateau Nigeria [11], Tanzania [7], and Guatemala [18] have reported significantly higher prevalence in females than in males. Another study in Vietnam, however, reported higher infection rates in males than in females [20].…”

“…Before now, the few cases reported within Nigeria were based on hospital surgical records and postmortem registers at University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan, Oyo State [8]. Nevertheless, recently, in a field survey conducted among pig farmers in Jos, Plateau State [11], researchers reported a human cysticercosis seroprevalence of 9.6% in the study community, which was determined by detecting IgG antibodies in sera.…”

Taenia soliumCysticercosis in Pigs and Human: A Review of Epidemiological Data in West Africa (1990–2019)

“…Human cysticercosis from Nigeria was obtained from two studies [47,48] by using Ab ELISA with prevalence of cysticercosis ranging from 9.6 to 14.3% in a total of 425 individuals. There were five studies selected for epilepsy [43,44,51,70] with prevalence ranging from 4.3/1000 to 20.8/1000 in a total of 64,979 individuals for the epilepsy study.…”

A case of imported neurocysticercosis in Portugal

“…Approximately 90% of the world's 50 million people with epilepsy live in resource-poor countries [3], and a linkage between epilepsy and NCC in countries endemic for T. solium is now accepted. It is estimated that people with cysticercosis have a 3.4 to 3.8-fold increased risk for developing epilepsy [4].…”