Cysticercosis Disease Burden in Latin America

Abstract

Cysticercosis is caused by infection with the larval form (orcysticercus) of the tapeworm Taenia solium. The most important clinicalmanifestations are caused by cysts in invading the central nervoussystem known as neurocysticercosis, which is associated with significantmorbidity and disability in Latin America. Taeniasis and cysticercosisoccur globally, with the highest rates in areas of Latin America, Asia,and sub-Saharan Africa associated with poor sanitation and free-rangingpigs with access to human feces. Control efforts in Latin Americarequire an integration of both medical treatment of cases of taeniasisto prevent further transmission and of neurocysticercosis to decreasethe burden of disease with antiparasitic drugs, steroids, andanticonvulsant therapy. Further efforts targeting interventions toimprove health education of communities living in highly endemicsettings combined with sanitation and poverty alleviation initiatives inLatin America may prove to have the highest impact to decrease thesubstantial morbidity and long-term neurologic consequences associatedwith this neglected tropical disease.