Parasitology international
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Taenia solium infection is a zoonotic disease and swine is the natural intermediate host. Till date no literatures have described clinical signs in swine indicative of brain involvement by cysticerci. In the present study we describe such clinical signs of porcine neurocysticercosis (NCC). ⋯ A total of 30 swine (18 with 2 or all 3 clinical signs and 12 without any sign) underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). All 18 swine with above signs had NCC on MRI along with variable involvement of other organs that were subsequently confirmed by ex vivo MRI, necropsy and histopathology, while none of the 12 animals without any sign had NCC. As development of a porcine NCC model has proved difficult, we propose that naturally infected swine can be identified on the basis of these clinical signs and thus used as a model for further research on NCC.
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Cystic echinococcosis (CE) caused by Echinococcus granulosus is a global public health problem. In many areas the disease is being diagnosed in increasing numbers, whilst in other areas it is re-emerging due to the collapse of public health programmes associated with socio-economic changes. Mathematical models of the transmission dynamics between animals can have an important role to play in developing control options. ⋯ However, if the newly developed sheep vaccine is included in the control programme, then it should be possible to treat dogs less frequently to achieve the same result. This is due to the potentiating effects of attacking the parasite at two places in its life cycle. This should result in considerable cost savings over the use intensive anthelmintic treatment as the sole method of control.
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Echinococcus granulosus and related genotypic variants, the agents of cystic hydatid disease, occur widely in the American continents from Alaska and Northern Canada in North America to Tierra del Fuego in South America. Here we review the historical and current distribution and prevalence of these infections throughout the American countries and the results of programs to control or eliminate the infection.