Epidemiologic study of cysticercosis and taeniasis in Mulungu do Morro - Bahia

THESES

Epidemiologic study of cysticercosis and taeniasis in Mulungu do Morro - Bahia (Abstract)^*. Thesis. Salvador, 2001.

Irenio Gomes^**

INTRODUCTION: The neurologic infection due to the larval stage of Taenia solium (cysticercosis) is a serious public health problem. Although it is not considered endemic region, in the northeast of Brazil there are the necessary conditions to the development of this disease.

OBJECTIVE: To establish the prevalence of serum anti-cysticerci antibody and antigens in neurologic patients, especially with seizures in the city of Mulungu do Morro; to describe the characteristics of the seizures of this region; to determine the prevalence of taeniasis, positive sorology to cysticercosis and seizures in the population of the city.

METHOD: An outpatient service of neurology/epilepsy was created. A specific questionnaire was filled for each patient and a blood sample were collected for the sorology studies. To establish the prevalence of taeniasis/cysticercosis markers in the population blood and stool samples were collected in 175 families. The identification of the serum anti-cysticerci antibody was done by the EITB method and the presence of taeniasis was verified by the ELISA capture to identify parasite antigens in the stool. The prevalence of epilepsy was evaluated by a study door to door. Initially, it was applied a questionnaire, and then the suspected cases were confirmed.

RESULTS: In the initial phase of the service, it was collected samples of 193 patients with neurologic symptoms. Anti-cysticerci antibody were obtained in 14% of the cases, the antigens were found in 4.7% and only 1 patient had both antibody and antigens present in the serum. Among the 66 epileptic patients, positive sorology was observed in 15.2%. The sorologic prevalence of cysticercosis was 1,6% and the prevalence of taeniasis was 4.5% in the population of the city. The prevalence of unique seizures, active epilepsy (at least one seizure in the last year) and accumulated epilepsy (active and inactive, unique crisis included) were 7.6/1000, 6.2/1000 and 22.9/1000 inhabitant, respectively.

CONCLUSION: The results showed that Mulungu do Morro (Bahia) is endemic to taeniasis and cysticercosis. There was a high prevalence of epileptic crisis, but these tended to be benign. It can also be concluded that others cities in the northeast of Brazil, with similar characteristics, can also be endemic to these diseases.

Key words: cysticercosis, taeniasis, epilepsy, parasitic and infectious diseases, epidemiology.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  22 Sept 2008
• Date of issue
  June 2003