Assessing the burden of human cysticercosis in Vietnam. Issue 3 (28th December 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Trung, Dung Do; Praet, Nicolas; Cam, Thach Dang Thi; Lam, Binh Vu Thi; Manh, Hung Nguyen; Gabriël, Sarah; Dorny, Pierre
• Is Part Of: Tropical medicine & international health. Volume 18:Issue 3(2013:Mar.)
• Page Start: 352
• Page End: 356
• Publication Date: 2012-12-28
• Subjects: Tropical medicine -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 616.988
• DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12043
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1360-2276

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" xml:lang="en" id="tmi12043-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="tmi12043-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Objectives</title> <p>To describe the occurrence of cysticercosis in patients living in rural areas of Northern Vietnam presenting clinical signs of neurocysticercosis.</p> </sec> <sec id="tmi12043-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Serological antigen detection, reflecting current infection with viable larval stages of <italic>Taenia solium</italic>, was used to estimate the prevalence of active cysticercosis in this patient population.</p> </sec> <sec id="tmi12043-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>The seroprevalence in epileptic patient population was &lt;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.</p> </sec> <sec id="tmi12043-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>Human and porcine cysticercosis remain public and veterinary public health problems in Northern Vietnam and probably in other parts of the country.</p> </sec> </abstract>