Taeniasis and cysticercosis prevalence in a small village from Northeastern Brazil.
Although not considered as an endemic region, the Northeast of Brazil has the necessary conditions for the development of taeniasis-cysticercosis complex. In a previous paper, we demonstrated that Mulungu do Morro municipality, in the State of Bahia, has a high seroprevalence to cysticercosis in epileptic patients.


OBJECTIVE
to determine the prevalence of taeniasis and positive cysticercosis serology in the population of Mulungu do Morro.


METHODS
blood and stool samples were collected from a random sampling of the population, by family. The identification of antibodies against T. solium cysticerci was made by EITB and T. solium antigens were identified using a polyclonal antibody-capture ELISA.


RESULTS
the cysticercosis seroprevalence was 1.6% (C.I. = 0.8 to 2.8%) and the taeniasis prevalence 4.5% (C.I. = 3.0 to 6.5%). Seropositivity to cysticercosis was higher among those who lived in a house of a person testing positive for coproantigen, p=0.017.


CONCLUSIONS
our results demonstrate that the taeniasis-cysticercosis complex is endemic in Mulungu do Morro. We believe that all areas in the world with the same socio-economic and sanitary characteristics are likely to have high prevalence of this parasite.
Gomes
Irenio
I
Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil.
Veiga
Marielza
M
Embirucu
Emília Katiane
EK
Rabelo
Rosângela
R
Mota
Bernardo
B
Meza-Lucas
Antonio
A
Tapia-Romero
Raquel
R
Carrillo-Becerril
Bertha Laura
BL
Alcantara-Anguiano
Isabel
I
Correa
Dolores
D
Melo
Ailton
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003551:Cysticercosis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013622:Taeniasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014505:Urban Population
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth