A seroepidemiological survey of Taenia solium cysticercosis in Nabo, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China

Abstract

We have observed the seropositive rate of Taenia solium cysticercosis in residents at Nabo Village,Tiandong County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The villagehad been found to be a relatively high endemic area of porcine cysticercosis among roaming pigs. Of 202 personsexamined four males aged 15, 25, 35 and 41 year-old exhibited absorbance (abs) at 0.18, 0.20, 0.35 and 0.55,respectively. In addition, two females whose ages were 35 and 39 years revealed specific antibody levels of abs 0.26and 0.41 in their sera. Overall positive rate among the people was 2.97%. All of these persons agreed that they hadingested the pork infected with T. soliummetacestode (TsM), while history of proglottid discharge was not noticedfrom all of them. Three males and one female complained of intermittent headache. Our findings reinforced not onlythat the prevalence of cysticercosis might be related with roaming pigs infected with TsM but also that behavioral andenvironmental practices in local community constituted risk factors for transmission of the infection.