Taenia solium taeniosis/cysticercosis in Africa: Risk factors, epidemiology and prospects for control using vaccination

Abstract

Poor sanitary conditions, free-roaming of domestic pigs and lack of awareness of the disease play an important role in the perpetuation of the Taenia solium taeniosis and cysticercosis in Africa. Traditional pig production systems known as the source of T. solium taeniosis/cysticercosis complex are predominant in the continent, representing 60-90% of pig production in rural areas. It has been reported that T. solium cysticercosis is the main cause of acquired epilepsy in human population and results in considerable public health problems and economic costs to the endemic countries. Although the socioeconomic impact and public health burden of cysticercosis have been demonstrated, up to now no large-scale control programme has been undertaken in Africa. Most disease control trials reported in the literature have been located in Latin America and Asia. This review discusses the risk factors and epidemiology of T. solium cysticercosis in Africa and critically analyzes the options available for implementing control of this zoonotic disease in the continent.

Detection of high endemic and zoonotic risk areas regarding the infestation with Taenia solium larvae in pigs in Romania

“…Nowadays, many scientific approaches emphasize the need to study the epidemiological particularities of the invasion in specific socionatural environments, in order to obtain more efficiency in surveillance, diagnosis, control and prevention (Assana et al, 2012;Pondja et al, 2015).…”

Vaccine for Epilepsy?

“…Furthermore, all vaccinated animals developed detectable titres of antibody following the initial vaccination. 1 Although further studies have continued to demonstrate the effectiveness of this vaccine among pigs, we are still unable to determine what effect porcine vaccination would have on the prevalence of human cysticercosis and what implementation strategy would be most efficacious. It stands to reason that a multifaceted approach involving education strategies, sanitation, and continued vaccination would result in the largest reduction in the burden of human cysticercosis.…”

Taeniosis and Cysticercosis

“…In recent years, the number of studies on taeniosis/cysticercosis has increased in Africa, although most large-scale control programs have been carried out in Latin America and Asia (Assana et al 2013).…”

“…Recently, the advances made in the vaccine area are really promising to be applied to the control of cysticercosis. In fact, several intervention programs have already included the use of vaccines to interrupt the parasite transmission, among other measures (Assana et al 2013;Xiao et al 2013). There are vaccines based on the use of crude extracts, recombinant antigens, peptides, and naked DNA.…”

“…In T. solium/porcine system, the genes homologous to the ones described above (Tsol18, Tsol45-1A, TSOL45-1B, TSOL16), and others (paramyosin, fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs), KETc1, KETc4, KETc7, KETc11, KETc12), have been used in vaccination assays (Manoutcharian et al 1996;Vazquez-Talavera et al 2001;Gauci et al 2012). Of all molecules, Tsol18 plasmid construction, expressed in Escherichia coli and purified, is the candidate that yielded best results, almost 100 % protection, and is being used as a vaccine in the control programs organized in different endemic regions (Flisser et al 2004;Gauci et al 2012;Assana et al 2013).…”