title: Hyperendemic human and porcine Taenia solium infection in Perú.
abstract: The prevalence and characteristics of human taeniasis/cysticercosis and porcine cysticercosis were assessed in an endemic area of the Peruvian highlands. Individuals from 10 communities had stool examinations (N = 2,951) and serologic testing for Taenia solium antibodies (N = 2,583). The total porcine population present (N = 703) was also examined by serology. Cysticercosis is hyperendemic in this area and is associated with an important number of seizure cases. Human seroprevalence by village ranged from 7.1-26.9% (mean, 13.9%). Seroprevalence was higher among individuals with a history of seizures but not in those reporting a history of headache or intestinal taeniasis. Prevalence of taeniasis ranged from 0-6.7% (median, 2.5%). Coproantigen detection found 2.4 times more taeniasis cases than did microscopy (direct and after concentration). Age distribution for taeniasis showed a peak at younger ages than for seroprevalence. Porcine seroprevalence ranged from 42-75%. Random effects logistic regression models for human seropositivity demonstrated both in-house clustering of cases and a large increase in risk associated with a tapeworm carrier in the house. Besides confirming the close relationship between taeniasis and cysticercosis cases, this large-scale field study demonstrated early age of tapeworm and cysticercosis infections in humans, and short duration of taeniasis infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú. hgarcia@terra.com.pe
authors.forename: Héctor H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Gilman
authors.forename: Armando E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Verastegui
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Cesar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gavidia
authors.forename: Victor C W
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: Nestor
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Falcon
authors.forename: Andres G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Lescano
authors.forename: Lawrence H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Moulton
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bernal
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tovar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003551:Cysticercosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D010568:Peru / Q000453:epidemiology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D041201:Taenia solium / Q000302:isolation & purification*