Serology as an indicator of Taenia solium tapeworm infections in a rural community in Mexico.
Serial stool examinations were carried out on a sample of 516 persons living in the town of El Salado (1993 inhabitants). In a group of 40 families (198 individuals), selected by random sampling, there were 2 cases of Taenia solium infection (1.2%); an additional group of 67 families (318 individuals), who volunteered for the study, had 4 cases (1.1%). 5 of the 6 T. solium cases were clustered in 4 neighbouring households. Serum antibodies to the larval stage of T. solium were detected by ELISA using bladder fluid as antigen. 22 members of the random sample group were positive (11%); 58 persons of the total sample of 478 were positive (12%). 43% of individuals living in the same household as a T. solium-infected person were positive, compared to 8.6% seropositive individuals among those not known to have been in daily contact with a T. solium carrier. Odds ratio analysis of the random and total samples showed that the risk of being seropositive when living in the same household as a tapeworm carrier was 9.05 and 6.85 respectively. The results showed a significant correlation between T. solium tapeworm clusters and higher seropositivity rates among contacts rather than among non-contacts. The immune response is a sensitive indicator of a tapeworm infection in a household or family, and is easier to determine than the traditional search for taeniid eggs in stool, a method which is difficult to apply in developing countries due to lack of trained personnel.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Diaz Camacho
S
S
School of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Culiacán, México.
Candil Ruiz
A
A
Uribe Beltrán
M
M
Willms
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D012424:Rural Population; D013621:Taenia / Q000276:immunology; D013622:Taeniasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth