Dn. Onah et Sn. Chiejina, TAENIA-SOLIUM CYSTICERCOSIS AND HUMAN TAENIASIS IN THE NSUKKA AREA OFENUGU STATE, NIGERIA, Annals of tropical medicine and parasitology, 89(4), 1995, pp. 399-407
The prevalences of Taenia solium cysticercosis in slaughter pigs and o
f taeniid ova in hospital patients were determined in the Nsukka area
of Enugu State, Nigeria, in March 1986-September 1988 and May 1986-May
1988, respectively. Cysticercus cellulosae were detected in the pigs
by ante-mortem examination of the pigs' tongues and detailed post-mort
em examination of the dressed pig carcasses using standard meat-inspec
tion procedures. Human infection was assessed by examining iodine-stai
ned stool samples collected from patients from one selected hospital i
n the study area. Over 20% (483) of the 2358 trade pigs examined mere
found infected with C. cellulosae. Most of the cases were generalized,
all the musculature being heavily infested with live cysticerci. The
age and sex of the pig and the season of the year in which it was exam
ined had no significant effect on the occurrence of cysticerci in the
animals (P > 0.01) but there was a highly significant year-to-year dec
rease (P < 0.001) in the prevalence of cysticerci. The overall prevale
nce of taeniid ova in the 1525 human-stool samples analysed was 8.6%,
most (78.6%) of the cases occurring in adults aged >30 years. The epid
emiological factors which might have influenced these results are iden
tified and discussed, and suggestions are made for the control of this
important zoonosis.