title: Taenia solium taeniosis/cysticercosis and the co-distribution with schistosomiasis in Africa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to map the distribution of Taenia solium taeniosis/cysticercosis and the co-distribution with schistosomiasis in Africa. These two major neglected tropical diseases are presumed to be widely distributed in Africa, but currently the level of co-distribution is unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  A literature search on T. solium taeniosis/cysticercosis was performed to compile all known studies on the presence of T. solium and apparent prevalence of taeniosis and porcine cysticercosis in Africa. Studies were geo-referenced using an online gazetteer. A Bayesian framework was used to combine the epidemiological data on the apparent prevalence with external information on test characteristics to estimate informed district-level prevalence of taeniosis and porcine cysticercosis. Districts with T. solium taeniosis/cysticercosis presence were cross-referenced with the Global Neglected Tropical Diseases Database for schistosomiasis presence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The search strategies identified 141 reports of T. solium in Africa from 1985 to 2014 from a total of 476 districts in 29 countries, 20 with porcine cysticercosis, 22 with human cysticercosis, and 16 with taeniosis, in addition to 2 countries identified from OIE reports. All 31 countries were considered, on national scale, to have co-distribution with schistosomiasis. Presence of both parasites was confirmed in 124 districts in 17 countries. The informed prevalence of taeniosis and porcine cysticercosis were estimated for 14 and 41 districts in 10 and 13 countries, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With the paucity of data, T. solium infection is grossly under-reported and expected to be more widespread than this study suggests. In areas where co-distribution occurs there is a need for increased emphasis on evaluation of integrated intervention approaches for these two helminth infections and allocation of resources for evaluating the extent of adverse effects caused by mass drug administration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Section for Parasitology and Aquatic Diseases, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870, Frederiksberg, Denmark. braae@sund.ku.dk.
authors.forename: Uffe Christian
authors.initials: UC
authors.lastname: Braae
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Section for Parasitology and Aquatic Diseases, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870, Frederiksberg, Denmark. cls@sund.ku.dk.
authors.forename: Christopher F L
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Saarnak
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. mukaratirwa@ukzn.ac.za.
authors.forename: Samson
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mukaratirwa
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium. brechtdv@gmail.com.|Institute of Health and Society (IRSS), Université catholique de Louvain, 1200, Brussels, Belgium. brechtdv@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Brecht
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Devleesschauwer
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Section for Parasitology and Aquatic Diseases, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870, Frederiksberg, Denmark. pma@sund.ku.dk.|Centre for Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1353, Copenhagen, Denmark. pma@sund.ku.dk.
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Magnussen
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Section for Parasitology and Aquatic Diseases, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870, Frederiksberg, Denmark. mvj@sund.ku.dk.
authors.forename: Maria Vang
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Johansen
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D060085:Coinfection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D003551:Cysticercosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D003552:Cysticercus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D012547:Schistosoma / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D041201:Taenia solium / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D013622:Taeniasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology