PREVALENCE OF CYSTICERCOSIS IN EPILEPTICS AND MEMBERS OF THEIR FAMILIES IN BURUNDI

In the province of Bururi in Burundi, 103 epileptics and 72 control su bjects from the same households were examined for cysticercosis. Antig en was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 4.9% of epilep tic persons and in 4.2% of controls. Antibody was detected by enzyme-l inked electroimmunotransfer blot assay (EITB) in 11.7% of epileptics a nd in 2.8% of controls. Neither difference was statistically significa nt, nor was a history of taeniasis significantly more frequent in epil eptics than in controls. However, cysticercosis was significantly more frequently diagnosed by EITB in people with a history of taeniasis th an in those without such a history. The prevalence of taeniasis in sch oolchildren ranged between 0 and 1.0%. Meat inspection detected cystic ercosis in 2% and 39% of pigs in 2 localities, respectively.