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Assessing the burden of human cysticercosis in V ietnam
Author(s) -
Trung Dung Do,
Praet Nicolas,
Cam Thach Dang Thi,
Lam Binh Vu Thi,
Manh Hung Nguyen,
Gabriël Sarah,
Dorny Pierre
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
tropical medicine and international health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1365-3156
pISSN - 1360-2276
DOI - 10.1111/tmi.12043
Subject(s) - cysticercosis , neurocysticercosis , seroprevalence , taenia solium , medicine , helminthiasis , headaches , serology , population , public health , epilepsy , environmental health , pediatrics , immunology , veterinary medicine , surgery , pathology , antibody , psychiatry
Objectives To describe the occurrence of cysticercosis in patients living in rural areas of Northern Vietnam presenting clinical signs of neurocysticercosis. Methods Serological antigen detection, reflecting current infection with viable larval stages of T aenia solium , was used to estimate the prevalence of active cysticercosis in this patient population. Results The seroprevalence in epileptic patient population was <10%. However, antigen detection cannot detect dead cysticerci, which may also cause clinical signs. Therefore, the seroprevalence figures shown here may underestimate the role of neurocysticercosis as a causal agent of epilepsy and headaches in this population. Conclusions Human and porcine cysticercosis remain public and veterinary public health problems in N orthern V ietnam and probably in other parts of the country.