Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-m8qmq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-18T19:06:17.628Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Evidence of human neurocysticercosis in Slovenia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 November 2013

BARBARA ŠOBA ,
BOJANA BEOVIĆ ,
ZALA LUŽNIK ,
MIHA SKVARČ  and
JERNEJ LOGAR
BARBARA ŠOBA
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ljubljana, Zaloška 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
BOJANA BEOVIĆ
Affiliation:
Department of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Japljeva 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
ZALA LUŽNIK
Affiliation:
Department of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Japljeva 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
MIHA SKVARČ
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ljubljana, Zaloška 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
JERNEJ LOGAR*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ljubljana, Zaloška 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
*
*Corresponding author: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ljubljana, Zaloška 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia. E-mail: jernej.logar@mf.uni-lj.si
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

To assess the prevalence of Taenia solium cysticercosis in patients with neurological disorders in Slovenia, serum/cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 348 suspected patients were collected between the beginning of January 2001 and the end of December 2012 and analysed serologically for the presence of anti-T. solium IgG antibodies. Of 20 patients whose samples tested positive or equivocal by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), samples of 7 patients were confirmed positive by Western blot (WB). The overall seroprevalence rate of T. solium infection in patients with neurological disorders included in the study was 2.0%. Serological results of positive patients corresponded to clinical and/or imaging findings concerning their brain cysts. Based on their personal data, it was ascertained that neurocysticercosis (NCC) positive patients had immigrated or came to Slovenia from the former Yugoslav republics. Since the disease is believed not to be endemic in Slovenia we assume that all of the NCC-positive patients had acquired the infection before immigration to Slovenia or visiting or being visited by their relatives infected with an adult T. solium parasite. The present results represent the first insight into the prevalence of NCC in patients with neurological disorders in Slovenia.

Keywords

neurocysticercosisseroprevalenceenzyme-linked immunosorbent assayWestern blotSlovenia
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 141 , Issue 4 , April 2014 , pp. 547 - 553
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Bale, J. F. Jr. (2000). Cysticercosis. Current Treatment Options in Neurology 2, 355–360.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carpio, A. (2002). Neurocysticercosis: an update. Lancet Infectious Diseases 2, 751–762.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Del Brutto, O. H. (2012 a). Neurocysticercosis in Western Europe: a re-emerging disease? Acta Neurologica Belgica 112, 335–343. doi: 10.1007/s13760-012-0068-3.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Del Brutto, O. H. (2012 b). Neurocysticercosis: a review. Scientific World Journal 159821. doi: 10.1100/2012/159821.Google ScholarPubMed
Del Brutto, O. H. (2013). Neurocysticercosis: new thoughts on controversial issues. Current Opinion in Neurology 26, 289–294. doi: 10.1097/WCO.0b013e32836027fa.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Del Brutto, O. H. and Del Brutto, V. J. (2012). Calcified neurocysticercosis among patients with primary headache. Cephalalgia 32, 250–254. doi: 10.1177/0333102411433043.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Doder, R., Madle-Samardzija, N., Canak, G., Vukadinov, J., Turkulov, V. and Sević, S. (2002). [Neurocysticercosis – 5 years’ experience at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases.] Medicinski Pregled 55, 523–527.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eddi, C., Nari, A. and Amanfu, W. (2003). Taenia solium cysticercosis/taeniosis: potential linkage with FAO activities; FAO support possibilities. Acta Tropica 87, 145–148.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fleury, A., Gomez, T., Alvarez, I., Meza, D., Huerta, M., Chavarria, A., Carrillo Mezo, R. A., Lloyd, C., Dessein, A., Preux, P. M., Dumas, M., Larralde, C., Sciutto, E. and Fragoso, G. (2003). High prevalence of calcified silent neurocysticercosis in a rural village of Mexico. Neuroepidemiology 22, 139–145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fleury, A., Morales, J., Bobes, R. J., Dumas, M., Yánez, O., Piña, J., Carrillo-Mezo, R., Martínez, J. J., Fragoso, G., Dessein, A., Larralde, C. and Sciutto, E. (2006). An epidemiological study of familial neurocysticercosis in an endemic Mexican community. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 100, 551–558.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fleury, A., Escobar, A., Fragoso, G., Sciutto, E. and Larralde, C. (2010). Clinical heterogeneity of human neurocysticercosis results from complex interactions among parasite, host and environmental factors. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 104, 243–250. doi: 10.1016/j.trstmh.2010.01.005.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Flisser, A. (2002). Risk factors and control measures for taeniosis/cysticercosis. In Cestode Zoonoses: Echinococcosis and Cysticercosis, an Emergent and Global Problem, Vol. 341. (ed. Craig, P. and Pawlowski, Z.), pp. 335–342. IOS Press, NATO Science Series, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.Google Scholar
Flisser, A. (2013). Taenia solium, Taenia saginata and Taenia asiatica . In Guide to Foodborne Pathogens (ed. Labbé, R. G. and García, S.), pp. 317–328. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, UK. doi: 10.1002/9781118684856.fmatter.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
García, H. H., Gonzalez, A. E., Evans, C. A. and Gilman, R. H.; for the Cysticercosis Working Group in Peru (2003). Taenia solium cysticercosis. Lancet 362, 547–556.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Garcia, H. H., Rodriguez, S., Gilman, R. H., Gonzalez, A. E. and Tsang, V. C.; for the Cysticercosis Working Group in Peru (2012). Neurocysticercosis: is serology useful in the absence of brain imaging? Tropical Medicine and International Health 17, 1014–1018. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2012.03037.x.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gekeler, F., Eichenlaub, S., Mendoza, E. G., Sotelo, J., Hoelscher, M. and Löscher, T. (2002). Sensitivity and specificity of ELISA and immunoblot for diagnosing neurocysticercosis. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases 21, 227–229.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gupta, R. K., Awasthi, R., Rathore, R. K., Verma, A., Sahoo, P., Paliwal, V. K., Prasad, K. N., Pandey, C. M. and Narayana, P. A. (2012). Understanding epileptogenesis in calcified neurocysticercosis with perfusion MRI. Neurology 78, 618–625. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e318248deae.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lescano, A. G., Garcia, H. H., Gilman, R. H., Guezala, M. C., Tsang, V. C., Gavidia, C. M., Rodriguez, S., Moulton, L. H., Green, J. A. and Gonzalez, A. E.; Cysticercosis Working Group in Peru (2007). Swine cysticercosis hotspots surrounding Taenia solium tapeworm carriers. American Journal of Tropical Medicine Hygiene 76, 376–383.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meštrović, T., Sviben, M., Vilibić-Čavlek, T., Ljubin-Sternak, S., Tabain, I. and Mlinarić-Galinović, G. (2012). Seroprevalence of Taenia solium infections in Croatian patients presenting with epilepsy. Journal of Helminthology 86, 259–262. doi: 10.1017/S0022149X11000253.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moskowitz, J. and Mendelsohn, G. (2010). Neurocysticercosis. Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine 134, 1560–1563. doi: 10.1043/2008-0756-RS.1.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mwang'onde, B. J., Nkwengulila, G. and Chacha, M. (2012). The serological survey for human cysticercosis prevalence in Mbulu district, Tanzania. Advances in Infectious Diseases 2, 62–66. doi: 10.4236/aid.2012.23009.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nash, T. E. and García, H. H. (2011). Diagnosis and treatment of neurocysticercosis. Nature Reviews Neurology 7, 584–594. doi: 10.1038/nrneurol.2011.135.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nash, T. E., Pretell, E. J., Lescano, A. G., Bustos, J. A., Gilman, R. H., Gonzalez, A. E. and Garcia, H. H.; Cysticercosis Working Group in Peru (2008). Perilesional brain oedema and seizure activity in patients with calcified neurocysticercosis: a prospective cohort and nested case-control study. Lancet Neurology 7, 1099–1105. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(08)70243-6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ooi, W. W., Wijemanne, S., Thomas, C. B., Quezado, M., Brown, C. R. and Nash, T. E. (2011). A calcified Taenia solium granuloma associated with recurrent perilesional edema causing refractory seizures: histopathological features. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 85, 460–463. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.2011.11-0221.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rajshekhar, V. and Oommen, A. (1997). Serological studies using ELISA and EITB in patients with solitary cysticercus granuloma and seizures. Neurological Infections and Epidemiology 2, 177–180.Google Scholar
Rathore, C. and Radhakrishnan, K. (2012). What causes seizures in patients with calcified neurocysticercal lesions? Neurology 78, 612–613. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e318248df75.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sarti, E., Schantz, P. M., Plancarte, A., Wilson, M., Gutierrez, I. O., Lopez, A. S., Roberts, J. and Flisser, A. (1992). Prevalence and risk factors for Taenia solium taeniasis and cysticercosis in humans and pigs in a village in Morelos, Mexico. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 46, 677–685.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sarti-Gutierrez, E. J., Schantz, P. M., Lara-Aguilera, R., Gomez Dandoy, H. and Flisser, A. (1988). Taenia solium taeniasis and cysticercosis in a Mexican village. Tropical Medicine and Parasitology 39, 194–198.Google Scholar
Simac, C., Michel, P., Andriantsimahavandy, A., Esterre, P. and Michault, A. (1995). Use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot for the diagnosis and monitoring of neurocysticercosis. Parasitology Research 81, 132–136.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Singh, G., Rajshekhar, V., Murthy, J. M., Prabhakar, S., Modi, M., Khandelwal, N. and Garcia, H. H. (2010). A diagnostic and therapeutic scheme for a solitary cysticercus granuloma. Neurology 75, 2236–2245. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e31820202dc.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sinha, S. and Sharma, B. S. (2009). Neurocysticercosis: a review of current status and management. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience 16, 867–876. doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2008.10.030.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sorvillo, F. J., DeGiorgio, C. and Waterman, S. H. (2007). Deaths from cysticercosis, United States. Emerging Infectious Diseases 13, 230–235.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Talan-Hranilovic, J., Sajko, T., Negovetic, L., Lupret, V. and Kalousek, M. (2002). Cerebral cysticercosis and echinococcosis: a preoperative diagnostic dilemma. Archives of Medical Research 33, 590–594.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Titlic, M., Tonkic, A., Jukic, I., Lahman-Doric, M., Kolic, K., Buca, A., Milas, I. and Dikanovic, M. (2007). Neurocysticercosis – non-specific clinical and neuroradiological presentation. Bratislavske lekarske listy 108, 414–416.Google ScholarPubMed
Tsang, V. C., Brand, J. A. and Boyer, A. E. (1989). An enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot assay and glycoprotein antigens for diagnosing human cysticercosis (Taenia solium). Journal of Infectious Diseases 159, 50–59.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
White, A. C. Jr. (1997). Neurocysticercosis: a major cause of neurological disease worldwide. Clinical Infectious Diseases 24, 101–113.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, M., Bryan, R. T., Fried, J. A., Ware, D. A., Schantz, P. M., Pilcher, J. B. and Tsang, V. C. (1991). Clinical evaluation of the cysticercosis enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot in patients with neurocysticercosis. Journal of Infectious Diseases 164, 1007–1009.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zammarchi, L., Strohmeyer, M., Bartalesi, F., Bruno, E., Muñoz, J., Buonfrate, D., Nicoletti, A., García, H. H., Pozio, E., Bartoloni, A.; COHEMI Project Study Group (2013). Epidemiology and management of cysticercosis and Taenia solium taeniasis in Europe, systematic review 1990–2011. PLoS ONE 8, e69537. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0069537.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed