title: High prevalence of Taenia solium cysticerosis in a village community of Bas-Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo.
abstract: Cysticercosis results from tissue infection with the larval stage of the pig tapeworm Taenia solium. Infection of the brain may cause neurocysticercosis, the most frequent cause of acquired epilepsy in developing countries. Information on human cysticercosis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is scarce and outdated. We believe this is the first reported study on human cysticercosis and epilepsy in a village community of DRC. The proportion of villagers seropositive by ELISA for T. solium circulating antigen was 21.6%, the highest figure reported to date. The adjusted prevalence of active epilepsy in the community was 12.7 in 1,000.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Tropical Medicine, Department of Parasitology, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium. kkanobana@itg.be
authors.forename: Kirezi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kanobana
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Praet
authors.forename: Constantin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kabwe
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dorny
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lukanu
authors.forename: Joule
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Madinga
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mitashi
authors.forename: Mirjam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Verwijs
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lutumba
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Polman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003551:Cysticercosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo / Q000453:epidemiology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D041201:Taenia solium / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000947:Antigens, Helminth