Background: Taeniasis and cysticercosis are human infections caused by the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium. This study is a baseline for the Community-based intervention. We determined the prevalence of human cysticercosis and associated risk factors following deworming program conducted throughout the country, Mbulu District being among the districts in Northern Tanzania.Methods: Human cysticercosis was determined by enzyme-linked Immunosorbent assay (Ag- ELISA). Household interviews and observations were conducted to identify risk factors for cysticercosis transmissions among households and communities. Results: Three hundred individuals participated in the study. The age ranged from five to 89 years, with a median of 19 years. The prevalence of human cysticercosis was 23(7.67%). The prevalence was high 6(11.76%) among individuals aged 26 to 35 years and ±45 years. There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence by age group, sex, or occupation. Among the 300 participants, 82(27.3%) had received anthelmintic during the previous year; among these, 5(21.7%) were infected. The likelihood of infection was low among anthelmintic users by 28% [0.72 (0.26-2.01)], but the protection was not significant. The communities differed in risk factors on the availability of clean and safe water supply; 52.7% (46/86) of households visited had no pit latrine. The cysticercosis prevalence showed a significant difference by communities. Conclusion: The prevalence of human cysticercosis was high and associated with higher age groups. The prevalence was low among those who had taken anthelmintic and was associated with lower age groups. The school current school deworming program has a positive effect for school children meanwhile the elderly are at higher risk because the intervention did not target them. It is recommended to scale up anthelmintic intervention to higher age groups.

Abstract : Background : porcine cysticercosis is an endemic parasitic zoonosis in many developing countries. The objective was to estimate the seroprevalence of porcine cysticercosis in traditional pig farms in the departments of Dabou, Aboisso and Agboville where blood samples were taken from pigs and analyzed by ELISA (IgG) and western blot. Data on farming practices and pig characteristics were collected. Categorical variables were compared with the Chi2 test and continuous variables with the Student test. Multivariate logistic regression models were constructed to identify risk factors. Results: A total of 668 pigs were sampled from 116 farms. The seroprevalence of cysticercosis was estimated at 13.2%. Overweight [ORa=2.6; 95%CI(1.3-4.9)] and fat pigs [ORa=2.3; 95%CI(1.0-4.8)] were twice as likely to be seropositive for cysticercosis. This risk was increased in farms using well water for drinking [aOR=2.5; 95%CI(1.0-6.3)] as well as those reporting veterinary care of the animals (ORa=2.9; 95%CI (1.2-7.3)). Conclusions: This study demonstrated the circulation of T. solium in pig farms in southern Côte d'Ivoire.

The interaction of the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems is crucial in the maintenance of homeostasis in vertebrates, and vital in mammals. The spleen is a key organ that regulates the neuroimmunoendocrine system. The Taenia crassiceps mouse system is an excellent experimental model to study the complex host-parasite relationship, particularly sex-associated susceptibility to infection. The aim of the present study was to determine the changes in neurotransmitters, cytokines, sex steroids, and sex-steroid receptors in the spleen of cysticercus-infected male and female mice, and the association of these different components with whole parasite counts. We found that parasite load was higher in female in comparison to male mice. The levels of the neurotransmitter epinephrine were significantly decreased in infected male animals. The expression of IL-2 and IL-4 in the spleen was markedly increased in infected mice; however, the expression of Interleukin (IL)-10 and Interferon (IFN)-γ decreased. We also observed sex-associated differences between non-infected and infected mice. Interestingly, the data show that estradiol levels increased in infected males but decreased in females. Our studies provide evidence that infection leads to changes on neuroimmunoendocrine molecules in the spleen during infection. These changes are dimorphic and impact the establishment, growth, and reproduction of T. crassiceps. Our findings support the key role of the neuroimmune network in determining sex-associated susceptibility to the helminth parasite.