A Review of Human Cysticercosis and Diagnostic Challenges in Endemic Resource Poor Countries

Abstract

Human cysticercosis is a neglected tropical parasitic zoonotic disease with high public health con- cerns. Infection of Taenia solium cysticerci in the brain commonly known as neurocysticercosis is a cause to over 29% of all epileptic cases in endemic countries. Unfortunately, this infection can go unnoticed for over 10 years. The objective of this review was to characterize the diagnostic approaches accessible in endemic poor resource countries. The review sought literature from library catalogues and public databases for studies on epidemiology and diagnosis challenges of human cysticercosis. The search key words included “Taenia solium, T. solium cysticercosis, human cysticercosis, neurocysticercosis and diagnosis”. Most of the diagnostic procedures rely on serology. Neuroimaging tools which would confirm and thus enable the assessment of the burden of the disease in endemic countries are rarely used. Therefore assessing the estimate on prevalence and burden of the disease fallacious is owing to the low sensitivity of serological tools and the inhibition of humoral, cellular immune responses, inflammatory reaction and cytokines by the living cysticerci.