BACKGROUND: Cysticercosis is caused by the invasion of human or pig tissues by the metacestode larval stage of Taenia solium. In Europe, the disease was endemic in the past but the autochthonous natural life cycle of the parasite is currently completed very rarely. Recently, imported cases have increased in parallel to the increased number of migrations and international travels. The lack of specific surveillance systems for cysticercosis leads to underestimation of the epidemiological and clinical impacts. OBJECTIVES: To review the available data on epidemiology and management of cysticercosis in Europe. METHODS: A review of literature on human cysticercosis and T. solium taeniasis in Europe published between 1990-2011 was conducted. RESULTS: Out of 846 cysticercosis cases described in the literature, 522 cases were autochthonous and 324 cases were imported. The majority (70.1%) of the autochthonous cases were diagnosed in Portugal from 1983 and 1994. Imported cases of which 242 (74.7%) diagnosed in migrants and 57 (17.6%) in European travellers, showed an increasing trend. Most of imported cases were acquired in Latin America (69.8% of migrants and 44.0% of travellers). The majority of imported cases were diagnosed in Spain (47.5%), France (16.7%) and Italy (8.3%). One third of neurosurgical procedures were performed because the suspected diagnosis was cerebral neoplasm. Sixty eight autochthonous and 5 imported T. solium taeniasis cases were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Cysticercosis remains a challenge for European care providers, since they are often poorly aware of this infection and have little familiarity in managing this disease. Cysticercosis should be included among mandatory reportable diseases, in order to improve the accuracy of epidemiological information. European health care providers might benefit from a transfer of knowledge from colleagues working in endemic areas and the development of shared diagnostic and therapeutic processes would have impact on the quality of the European health systems.
BACKGROUND:Cysticercosis is caused by the invasion of human or pig tissues by the metacestode larval stage of Taenia solium. In Europe, the disease was endemic in the past but the autochthonous natural life cycle of the parasite is currently completed very rarely. Recently, imported cases have increased in parallel to the increased number of migrations and international travels. The lack of specific surveillance systems for cysticercosis leads to underestimation of the epidemiological and clinical impacts. OBJECTIVES: To review the available data on epidemiology and management of cysticercosis in Europe. METHODS: A review of literature on humancysticercosis and T. soliumtaeniasis in Europe published between 1990-2011 was conducted. RESULTS: Out of 846 cysticercosis cases described in the literature, 522 cases were autochthonous and 324 cases were imported. The majority (70.1%) of the autochthonous cases were diagnosed in Portugal from 1983 and 1994. Imported cases of which 242 (74.7%) diagnosed in migrants and 57 (17.6%) in European travellers, showed an increasing trend. Most of imported cases were acquired in Latin America (69.8% of migrants and 44.0% of travellers). The majority of imported cases were diagnosed in Spain (47.5%), France (16.7%) and Italy (8.3%). One third of neurosurgical procedures were performed because the suspected diagnosis was cerebral neoplasm. Sixty eight autochthonous and 5 imported T. soliumtaeniasis cases were reported. CONCLUSIONS:Cysticercosis remains a challenge for European care providers, since they are often poorly aware of this infection and have little familiarity in managing this disease. Cysticercosis should be included among mandatory reportable diseases, in order to improve the accuracy of epidemiological information. European health care providers might benefit from a transfer of knowledge from colleagues working in endemic areas and the development of shared diagnostic and therapeutic processes would have impact on the quality of the European health systems.
Authors: V Barra Valencia; A Moreno Elola-Olaso; Y Fundora Suárez; J C Meneu Díaz; S F Jiménez de los Galanes; B Pérez Saborido; R San Juan; J Ruiz Giménez; M Abradelo Usera; M Donat Garrido; A Gimeno Calvo; M C Hernández Pérez; C Jiménez Romero; E Moreno González Journal: Transplant Proc Date: 2007-09 Impact factor: 1.066
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Authors: Alfonso J Rodríguez-Morales; María Camila Yepes-Echeverri; Wilmer F Acevedo-Mendoza; Hamilton A Marín-Rincón; Carlos Culquichicón; Esteban Parra-Valencia; Jaime A Cardona-Ospina; Ana Flisser Journal: Travel Med Infect Dis Date: 2017-12-27 Impact factor: 6.211
Authors: María Ángeles Gómez-Morales; Patrizio Pezzotti; Alessandra Ludovisi; Belgees Boufana; Pierre Dorny; Titia Kortbeek; Joachim Blocher; Veronika Schmidt; Marco Amati; Sarah Gabriël; Edoardo Pozio; Andrea Sylvia Winkler; The Ring Trial Participants Journal: Microorganisms Date: 2021-05-29