title: Sero-prevalence of Taenia spp. cysticercosis in rural and urban smallholder pig production settings in Uganda.
abstract: The pork tapeworm, Taenia solium, is prevalent in Uganda although the prevalence has not been determined in all areas of the country. A cross-sectional study, to determine the sero-prevalence of the parasite in pigs kept under rural and urban production settings, was carried out in three Ugandan districts, Masaka, Mukono and Kamuli. Serum samples from 1185 pigs were tested for the presence of T. solium cysticercosis antigen using the HP10 antigen-ELISA (Ag-ELISA) and the ApDia Ag-ELISA assays. Using parallel interpretation of the two tests showed lower levels of observed prevalence of T. solium in rural production settings (10.8%) compared to urban (17.1%). Additionally, Maximum Likelihood Estimation for evaluating assays in the absence of a gold standard, using TAGS on the R platform, estimated the true sero-prevalence to be lower in rural production setting, 0.0% [0.0-3.2%; 95% confidence interval (CI)] than in urban production setting, 12.3% (4.2-77.5% CI). When the sensitivity/specificity (Se/Sp) of the assays were estimated, assuming conditional independence of the tests, HP10 Ag-ELISA was more sensitive and specific [(Se=53.9%; 10.1-100% CI), (Sp=97.0%; 95.9-100% CI)] than the ApDia assay [(Se=20.2%; 1.5-47.7% CI), (Sp=92.2%; 90.5-93.9% CI)]. Subject to parasitological verification, these results indicate there may be a need to implement appropriate control measures for T. solium in the study areas.
authors.affiliation: National Livestock Research Resources Institute, P. O. Box 96, Tororo, Uganda; College of Veterinary Medicine and Biosecurity, Makerere University, P. O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda; International Livestock Research Institute, P.O. Box 24384, Kampala, Uganda. Electronic address: kungu@live.com.
authors.forename: Joseph M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kungu
authors.affiliation: International Livestock Research Institute, P.O. Box 24384, Kampala, Uganda. Electronic address: m.dione@cgiar.org.
authors.forename: Michel M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Dione
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine and Biosecurity, Makerere University, P. O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda. Electronic address: ejobifrancis@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ejobi
authors.affiliation: University of Edinburgh, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Science, Easter Bush Veterinary Centre, Easter Bush, Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland EH259RG, UK. Electronic address: leslie.harrison@ed.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Leslie J S
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.affiliation: International Livestock Research Institute, P.O. Box 30709, Nairobi, Kenya. Electronic address: j.poole@cgiar.org.
authors.forename: E Jane
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Poole
authors.affiliation: International Livestock Research Institute, P.O. Box 24384, Kampala, Uganda. Electronic address: d.pezo@cgiar.org.
authors.forename: Danilo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pezo
authors.affiliation: International Livestock Research Institute, P.O. Box 30709, Nairobi, Kenya. Electronic address: d.grace@cgiar.org.
authors.forename: Delia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grace
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000592:standards; D000818:Animals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003551:Cysticercosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D015995:Prevalence; D000069466:Red Meat / Q000469:parasitology*; D012424:Rural Population; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D034421:Sus scrofa / Q000469:parasitology*; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D041201:Taenia solium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Cysticercosis; Pig; Rural and urban production settings; Sero-prevalence; Taenia solium; Uganda