title: Public health implications of cysticercosis acquired in the United States.
abstract: Cysticercosis has emerged as a cause of severe neurologic disease in the United States that primarily affects immigrants from Latin America. Moreover, the relevance of cysticercosis as a public health problem has been highlighted by local transmission. We searched the biomedical literature for reports documenting cases of cysticercosis acquired in the United States. A total of 78 cases, principally neurocysticercosis, were reported from 12 states during 1954-2005. A confirmed or presumptive source of infection was identified among household members or close personal contacts of 16 (21%) case-patients. Several factors, including the severe, potentially fatal, nature of cysticercosis; its fecal-oral route of transmission; the considerable economic effect; the availability of a sensitive and specific serologic test for infection by adult Taenia solium tapeworms; and the demonstrated ability to find a probable source of infection among contacts, all provide a compelling rationale for implementation of public health control efforts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA. fsorvill@ucla.edu
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sorvillo
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wilkins
authors.forename: Shira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shafir
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eberhard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003551:Cysticercosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D011634:Public Health; D041201:Taenia solium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult