Epidemiology of Taenia solium infection in Peru

A series of populational studies aimed to demonstrate the epidemiological characteristics of taeniosis/cysticercosis in endemic populations in Peru were performed using the accurate immunoblot with purified glycoprotein antigens. The principal findings in neurological patients included a clear association between seropositivity and epilepsy, especially late-onset cases or patients from outside Lima; constant prevalence between 6 and 12 % in neurological patients (in contrast to 1% in general population in Lima), sub- and over diagnosis in clinical basis. In field studies in rural areas, the findings included: the description of endemic and hyperendemic zones, with seroprevalences around 10% of general population in humans, and over 40% of porcine population; the use of porcine serology as a marker of infection pressure, and the introduction of sentinel pigs to measure it; the introduction of oxfendazole as the first effective, single-dose therapy for porcine cysticercosis. Rational control/eradication measures must be designed using these new available tools but with individual approaches according to each local reality.