Evidence for Transmission of Taenia solium Taeniasis/Cysticercosis in a Rural Area of Northern Rwanda

Abstract

Cysticercosis is a parasitic infection caused by the metacestode larval stage (cysticercus) of Taenia solium. In humans, cysticercosis may infect the central nervous system and cause neurocysticercosis, which is responsible for over 50,000 deaths per year worldwide and is the major cause of preventable epilepsy cases, especially in low-income countries. Cysticercosis infection is endemic in many less developed countries where poor hygiene conditions and free-range pig management favor their transmission. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 680 children from a rural primary school in Gakenke district (Northern province of Rwanda). Stool samples were collected from participants and analyzed using the Kato-Katz method (KK), formol-ether concentration (FEC), and/or copro-antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (CoAg-ELISA) to detect taeniasis. Blood samples were collected and analyzed using enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB) and antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Ag-ELISA) to detect human cysticercosis. The overall proportion of taeniasis positivity was 0.3% (2/680), and both cases were also confirmed by CoAg-ELISA. A total of 13.3% (76/572) of the children studied were positive to cysticercosis (T. solium-specific serum antibodies detected by EITB), of whom 38.0% (27/71) had viable cysticercus (T. solium antigens by Ag-ELISA). This study provides evidence of the highest cysticercosis prevalence reported in Rwanda in children to date. Systematic investigations into porcine and human cysticercosis as well as health education and hygiene measures for T. solium control are needed in Gakenke district.

A Large Case Series of Neurocysticercosis in Kuwait, a Nonendemic Arabian Gulf Country in the Middle East Region

“…The two domestic workers who were implicated as the source of infection in one Kuwaiti family showed no apparent signs of active infection (worm segments in stool samples) during treatment. However, this observation has also been noted in few other studies [4,13,56].…”

The epidemiology of human Taenia solium infections: A systematic review of the distribution in Eastern and Southern Africa

“…Among studies based on copro Ag-ELISA conducted in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia, the highest prevalence was reported in Kenya at 19.7% [ 40 ]. Rwanda had a taeniosis prevalence of 1.4% [ 51 ], Tanzania ranged between 0.5 to 5.2% [ 55 , 72 ] [ 16 ], [ 22 ] and Zambia ranged between 0.3 to 13.8% [ 62 , 73 ] ( Fig 10 ). For details on sources refer to Table 6 .…”

Very high epilepsy prevalence in rural Southern Rwanda: The underestimated burden of epilepsy in sub‐Saharan Africa

“…For instance, malaria prevalence in Rwanda ranges from 17% in the East, 11% in the South to 1% in the North [48]. Further, a Northern Rwandan study documented a Taenia solium seropositivity in children of 13.3% [49], while a Southern study reported a general seropositivity of 18.4% with almost…”

“…For instance, malaria prevalence in Rwanda ranges from 17% in the East, 11% in the South to 1% in the North [48]. Further, a Northern Rwandan study documented a Taenia solium seropositivity in children of 13.3% [49], while a Southern study reported a general seropositivity of 18.4% with almost a quarter of PwE considered as neurocysticercosis cases [50]. The clustering of risk factors is particularly evident given the higher prevalence in rural areas where factors such as poor perinatal care, poor sanitary conditions with higher transmission rates of infections, and poverty are all pervasive [2, 4].…”