Human taeniasis in western Romania and its relationship to multicultural food habits and influences.
OBJECTIVE
Taeniasis, an intestinal infection produced by adult tapeworms of the genus Taenia, is acquired by the consumption of raw or undercooked beef or pork containing the infective cysticerci. The symptoms are generally mild and include abdominal pain, nausea, dizziness, headache, weight loss, anorexia, and allergic syndromes. In Romania, the morbidity of taeniasis ranges between 0.4% and 0.75% with higher rates in Moldavia and Banat regions as a consequence of regional gastronomic customs. This study aimed to overview the epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic characteristics of taeniasis cases diagnosed in Timis County, part of Banat region, during a 37-year period (1971-2007).


METHODS
The authors have retrospectively analyzed the medical charts of 26 adult patients (mean age 38.3 years) admitted to the reference hospital for infectious diseases in southwestern Romania.


RESULTS
Females (77.0%, n = 20), inhabitants of urban areas (65.4%, n = 17), and laborers (46.2%, n = 12) were the most affected categories. The clinical symptoms included abdominal pain (57.7%, n = 15), asthenia (26.9%, n = 7), and loss of appetite (15.4%, n = 4). Eosinophilia was evidenced in 38.5% (n = 10) of the cases. For 80.8% (n = 21) of the patients, the hospitalization period ranged from 1 to 7 days. Niclosamide was administered in 61.5% (n = 16) of the cases.


CONCLUSIONS
The disease might be more frequently diagnosed in patients with mild symptomatology or asymptomatic ones who usually consult general practitioners and hence the low number of cases treated in hospitals. As a consequence, specific prophylactic measures oriented mainly to sanitary education of the masses must be considered for its eradication. Collaboration between family physicians and veterinary doctors must be strengthened especially in the countryside regions where humans live in close proximity to animals on which they rely mostly for their food resources.
Neghina
Raul
R
Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania. raul.neghina@gmail.com
Neghina
Adriana Maria
AM
Marincu
Iosif
I
Iacobiciu
Ioan
I
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000923:Anticestodal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006782:Hospitals, Special / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D009534:Niclosamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012383:Romania / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013621:Taenia / Q000187:drug effects; D013622:Taeniasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D055815:Young Adult; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology
D000923:Anticestodal Agents; D009534:Niclosamide