Molecular and serological survey on taeniasis and cysticercosis in Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand

Parasitol Int. 2010 Sep;59(3):326-30. doi: 10.1016/j.parint.2010.03.007. Epub 2010 Apr 7.

Abstract

A community-based field survey on taeniasis and cysticercosis was performed in two villages in Thong Pha Phum District, Kanchanaburi Province, central Thailand, where 3 Taenia species, T. solium, T. saginata and T. asiatica, are sympatrically occurring. Four (0.6%) out of 667 stool samples were egg-positive for Taenia sp. by Kato-Katz technique. Three out of those four persons and other three persons who were Taenia egg-negative but having a recent (<1 year) history of discharging worms in stool were treated with niclosamide. One Taenia egg-positive woman was not treated because of severe ascites. After treatment, three persons expelled long strobilae with scolices and two persons expelled strobilae without scolex. One Taenia egg-positive person did not expel any worms post-treatment. Among 5 persons, four expelled a single worm, whereas one expelled multiple worms, may be 6 worms but not confirmed by detection of scolices. One scolex was armed with hooklets, whereas 2 others did not. Multiplex PCR of 10 expelled proglottids (including 6 estimated worms from one patient) revealed that one sample was T. solium, one T. saginata, and 8 T. asiatica. A total of 159 residents agreed to receive a serological test for cysticercosis. By ELISA using partially purified glycoprotein antigen, 9 cases, 5 and 4 from villages A and B respectively, were found to be sero-positive. The five and an additional sample on the border line from village A were evaluated using confirmative immunoblot using recombinant chimeric antigen. Among the six samples, four including the border line sample were confirmed to be cysticercosis by immunoblotting. One of the 4 persons had neurological symptoms with nodular lesions in the brain by computed tomography. These 4 confirmed or suspected cysticercosis cases were free of T. solium worms, but two of them including confirmed NCC case had a past (>1 year) history of expelling proglottids in the stool.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Helminth / blood
  • Child
  • Cysticercosis / diagnosis
  • Cysticercosis / epidemiology*
  • Cysticercosis / parasitology
  • DNA, Helminth / analysis
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Feces / parasitology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting
  • Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / diagnosis
  • Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / epidemiology*
  • Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / parasitology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Parasite Egg Count
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Rural Population
  • Taenia / classification
  • Taenia / genetics*
  • Taenia / immunology*
  • Taenia / isolation & purification
  • Taeniasis / diagnosis
  • Taeniasis / epidemiology*
  • Taeniasis / parasitology
  • Thailand
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Antibodies, Helminth
  • DNA, Helminth