Cysticercosis and epilepsy in rural Tanzania: a community‐based case–control and imaging study. Issue 9 (26th May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hunter, Ewan; Burton, Kathryn; Iqbal, Ahmed; Birchall, Daniel; Jackson, Margaret; Rogathe, Jane; Jusabani, Ahmed; Gray, William; Aris, Eric; Kamuyu, Gathoni; Wilkins, Patricia P.; Newton, Charles R.; Walker, Richard
• Is Part Of: Tropical medicine & international health. Volume 20:Issue 9(2015:Sep.)
• Page Start: 1171
• Page End: 1179
• Publication Date: 2015-05-26
• Subjects: Tropical medicine -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 616.988
• DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12529
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1360-2276

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="tmi12529-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="tmi12529-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Objective</title> <p>To assess the contribution of neurocysticercosis (NCC) to the burden of epilepsy in a rural Tanzanian population.</p> </sec> <sec id="tmi12529-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>We identified adult people with epilepsy (PWE) in a door‐to‐door study in an established demographic surveillance site. PWE and community controls were tested for antibodies to <italic>Taenia solium, </italic> the causative agent of NCC, and all PWE were offered a computed tomography (CT) head scan. Data on household occupancy and sanitation, pig‐keeping and pork consumption were collected from PWE and controls and associations with epilepsy were assessed using chi‐square or Fisher's exact tests.</p> </sec> <sec id="tmi12529-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Six of 218 PWE had antibodies to <italic>T. solium</italic> (2.8%; 95% CI 0.6–4.9), compared to none of 174 controls (Fisher's exact test, <italic>P</italic> = 0.04). Lesions compatible with NCC were seen in eight of 200 CT scans (4.0%; 95% CI 1.3–6.7). A total of 176 PWE had both investigations of whom two had positive serology along with NCC‐compatible lesions on CT (1.1%; 95% 0.3–4.0). No associations between epilepsy and any risk factors for NCC were identified.</p> </sec> <sec id="tmi12529-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>Neurocysticercosis is present in this population but at a lower prevalence than elsewhere in Tanzania and sub‐Saharan Africa. Insights from low‐prevalence areas may inform public health interventions designed to reduce the burden of preventable epilepsy.</p> </sec> </abstract>