title: Taeniasis/cysticercosis in a Tibetan population in Sichuan Province, China.
abstract: The results of a preliminary survey of taeniasis/cysticercosis in Yajiang County, Ganze Tibetan Prefecture in southwest Sichuan Province, China, indicated a very high prevalence of taeniasis (22.5%), with Taenia saginata as the dominant species. There was also a significant occurrence of late-onset epilepsy (8.5% prevalence and 16.4% seropositive for Taenia solium antibodies) attributable in large part to probable neurocysticercosis caused by T. solium. The poor sanitation and hygiene in this Tibetan community likely contributed to a high risk of human cysticercosis despite a low level of T. solium taeniasis (actually no T. solium carriers were detected amongst the 21 proven Taenia carriers). In addition, three taeniasis cases were confirmed by DNA genotyping as Taenia asiatica, which is the first report of this tapeworm in Tibetans, the first report for Sichuan Province and only the third report for mainland China.
authors.affiliation: Sichuan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6 Middle School Road, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China. litiaoying@sina.com
authors.forename: Tiaoying
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Philip S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Craig
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Xingwang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Dongchuan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Jiamin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Marcello O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Toni
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wandra
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bradshaw
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D044466:Asian People; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003551:Cysticercosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020019:Neurocysticercosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D011203:Poverty; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013621:Taenia / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018609:Tibet / Q000453:epidemiology