Neurocysticercosis in Western Europe: a re-emerging disease?

Abstract

The objective of the study was to estimate the magnitude of neurocysticercosis in Western Europe and to determine the pattern of disease expression in the region. Review of patients with neurocysticercosis diagnosed in Western Europe from 1970 to 2011. Abstracted data included: demographic profile, clinical manifestations, form of neurocysticercosis, and whether the disease occurred in immigrants, European international travelers, or Europeans who had never been abroad. A total of 779 patients were found. Of these, only 28 were diagnosed before 1985. Countries with more reported patients were Portugal (n = 384), Spain (n = 228), France (n = 80), The United Kingdom (n = 26), and Italy (n = 21). Information on citizenship status, clinical manifestations, and forms of the disease was available in only 30-40% of patients. Immigrants accounted for 53% of cases, European travelers for 8%, and non-traveler Europeans for 39%. Immigrants/European travelers were most often diagnosed during the new Millennium, presented most often with seizures, and had less frequently inactive (calcified) neurocysticercosis than non-traveler Europeans. The prevalence of neurocysticercosis in Western Europe may be on the rise. The pattern of disease expression is different among immigrants/European travelers than among non-traveler Europeans. It is possible that some patients had acquired the disease as the result of contact with Taenia solium carriers coming from endemic countries. Much remains to be learned on the prevalence of neurocysticercosis in this region.

Epilepsy and Neurocysticercosis in Sub-Saharan Africa

“…NCC is not only one of the major causes of acquired epileptic seizures/epilepsy in low-resource countries, but it is also of increasing concern in so far non-endemic countries, such as Europe and the United States, due to globalization and the migration of infected people [46][47][48][49][50].…”

Neurocysticercosis in Europe

“…To the Editor, Joob and Wiwanitkit [1] raised two points regarding our paper on neurocysticercosis in Western Europe [2]. First, they considered that there should be comparative data to support our suggestions that the prevalence of neurocysticercosis in Western Europe may be on the rise.…”

Taenia solium in Europe: Still endemic?

“…Although human and 37 porcine cysticercosis were highly prevalent in Western Europe by the end of the nineteenth 38 century, improved pig rearing conditions following the end of World War I reduced the incidence 39 of cysticercosis considerably (Del Brutto, 2012). In Eastern Europe, on the other hand, 40 cysticercosis supposedly remained endemic throughout the twentieth century (Del Brutto, 2012). 41…”