Epidemiological status of taenia/cysticercosis in pigs and human in Nepal

Abstract

Two hundred and fifty slaughtered pigs for meat purpose, in various localities of
Kathmandu Metropolitan City and Dharan Municipality were examined for Taenia cysts
during January 1997 to April 1998. A surveillance study was also carried out with butchers, meat sellers, farmers and pork
consumers to study the awareness of taeniasis cysticercosis.
Data was collected from the hospitals to determine the status of taeniasis/cysticercosis
infection in humans. Out of 250 slaughtered pigs examined, thirty-four (13.6%) were found positive for cysticercosis. The sex wise prevalence rate of infection was 8.77% in male pigs and 24.05% in female pigs. The result reveals that females are infected more than the males. Out of 196 slaughtered pigs examined in Kathmandu, 28 (14.28%) were found positive, whereas in Dharan, out of 54, 6 (11.11%) were found positive. The result further reveals that the number of infected pigs is higher in Kathmandu than Dharan. It is due to the importation of infected pigs to Kathmandu both from rural areas of Nepal and India. The results show that pork consumption is risky from a public health point of view. In environments where animal cysticercosis is prevalent, human taeniasis/cysticercosis is likely to be present.
Prevalence of Taenia solium infection in pigs was therefore observed and recorded for the first time in Dharan Municipality and Kathmandu Metropolitan Municipality in Nepal.
Human cysticercosis cases were also studied. Out of 23,402 human biopsy cases
recorded from Patan Hospital alone during July 1993 - Feb 1998, sixty-two patients
were confirmed to have cysticercosis infection. Out of 62 taeniasis/cysticercosis
patients, 40 cases were from Kathmandu and 22 were from outside Kathmandu. Among
the 62 infected patients, 38 were females while 24 were males. The result reveals that the infection rate is higher in Kathmandu than outside Kathmandu. Sexwise data again
reveal that females are infected more frequently than males.
The surveillance study findings reveal that taeniasis and cysticercosis are prevalent
in Kathmandu and Dharan due to various factors, viz,
uncontrolled slaughtering, lack of a meat inspection program, lack of awareness about
meat borne diseases, unhygienic conditions of slaughtering places due to lack of slaughter houses, environmental pollution etc.
The incidence of human taeniasis/cysticercosis could be controlled by raising pigs
under hygienic condition and improving the environmental quality in the pig slaughtering abattoirs under the supervision of medical and veterinary technicians. An effective veterinary public health activities should immediately be established in all 56 municipalities of the country for meat inspection and construction of slaughter houses.