Taeniasis/cysticercosis in a Tibetan population in Sichuan Province, China.
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.
Li
Tiaoying
T
Sichuan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6 Middle School Road, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China. litiaoying@sina.com
Craig
Philip S
PS
Ito
Akira
A
Chen
Xingwang
X
Qiu
Dongchuan
D
Qiu
Jiamin
J
Sato
Marcello O
MO
Wandra
Toni
T
Bradshaw
Helen
H
Li
Li
L
Yang
Yun
Y
Wang
Qian
Q
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