Neglected Parasitic Infections in the United States: Cysticercosis

Abstract

Cysticercosis is a potentially fatal and preventable neglected parasitic infection caused by the larval form of Taenia solium. Patients with symptomatic disease usually have signs and symptoms of neurocysticercosis, which commonly manifest as seizures or increased intracranial pressure. Although there are many persons living in the United States who emigrated from highly disease-endemic countries and there are foci of autochthonous transmission of the parasite in the United States, little is known about burden and epidemiology of the disease in this country. In addition, despite advances in the diagnosis and management of neurocysticercosis, there remain many unanswered questions. Improving our understanding and management of neurocysticercosis in the United States will require improved surveillance or focused prospective studies in appropriate areas and allocation of resources towards answering some of the key questions discussed in this report.

New diagnostic criteria for neurocysticercosis: Reliability and validity

“…It is also an emerging public health problem in high‐income countries 3, 4, 5. A current concern is that its prevalence remains unknown because there are problems inherent to its diagnosis 6, 7.…”

Cysticercosis-Related Hospitalizations in the United States, 1998–2011

“…4 Relatively limited information on cysticercosis in the United States has included data from several hospital-based case series, a single emergency department study, three hospital discharge analyses, mortality data, surveillance information from two jurisdictions and limited surveys in selected populations. 2,[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] Only one of these studies, however, examined the country-wide burden of disease using a national-level database. 18 These studies have contributed vital information toward describing the occurrence of this disease in the United States, however they reflect only a portion of actual cases.…”

“…18 These studies have contributed vital information toward describing the occurrence of this disease in the United States, however they reflect only a portion of actual cases. 22 Cysticercosis is currently only reportable in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, and Alaska, though even within these jurisdictions underreporting may exist, leaving the true impact of the disease largely unknown. 22 Given the potential severity and impact of cysticercosis and the lack of comprehensive data on the burden of cysticercosis in the United States, additional national-level studies are needed.…”

Seroprevalence of porcine cysticercosis and influence of some associated risk factors in Northwestern Romania

“…Accidentally, humans become an aberrant intermediate host of C. cellulosae and develop subsequent neurocysticercosis because of the faecal-oral transmission through person-to-person contact, autoinfection or consumption of contaminated food. This neglected, emerging or re-emerging disease is mostly diagnosed in developing countries (Cantey et al 2014). Meat processing industry and pork meat consumption are economically affected by these metacestodes (Pawlowski et al 2005).…”