Cysticercosis

Cysticercosis is an infection associated with the life cycle of Taenia solium, encompassing taeniasis, porcine cysticercosis, and human cysticercosis ^[1]. In humans, cysticercosis results from ingestion of T. solium eggs from taenia carriers, and neurocysticercosis is defined as infection of the CNS and meninges by the larval stage of the parasite ^[2]. The supplied sources focus primarily on neurocysticercosis, which is described as a major target for eradication efforts ^[1].

Neurocysticercosis has a pleomorphic clinical expression because parasites may lodge in the brain parenchyma, subarachnoid space, ventricular system, or spinal cord, producing variable pathological effects ^[2]. Seizures and epilepsy are reported as the most common clinical manifestation ^[2]. Other described manifestations include headache, focal deficits, intracranial hypertension, and cognitive decline ^[2]. The clinical course and severity depend on the type of infection and on lesion number, location, and stage, and management is described in the source as evolving toward combined symptomatic and antiparasitic approaches with attention to inflammation ^[1].

Neurocysticercosis is described as endemic in most of the world and as a significant contributor to the burden of epilepsy and other neurological morbidity ^[1]. It is also present in developed countries, where immigration and travel are specifically noted as factors associated with its occurrence ^[1]. The source material indicates that this infection is one of the few diseases targeted for eradication, reflecting sustained public-health concern ^[1]. Additional source-backed detail on incidence, outbreak patterns, or age-specific burden is not available in the provided snippets ^[1][2].

Human cysticercosis is acquired by ingestion of T. solium eggs from taenia carriers ^[2]. The provided sources also note the broader life cycle involving adult tapeworm carriers, infected pigs, and eggs in the environment, indicating that human exposure is linked to contamination within this transmission cycle ^[2]. Source-backed detail on exact environmental routes, persistence, or specific food- or waterborne mechanisms is not yet available in the snippets ^[1][2].

Source-backed risk information is limited in the provided material. The snippets specifically mention people with exposure related to taenia carriers, residence in endemic areas, and cases occurring in developed countries in connection with immigration and travel ^[2][3][1]. A household Taenia carrier is listed among clinical/exposure criteria for neurocysticercosis, indicating that close-contact exposure is relevant in diagnostic assessment ^[3].

The supplied sources support prevention through control programs directed at all steps in the Taenia solium life cycle, including carriers of the adult tapeworm, infected pigs, and eggs in the environment ^[2]. Because the disease is identified as a target for eradication, public-health control is framed at the population level rather than solely through individual measures ^[1]. Further source-backed detail on specific preventive interventions is not yet available in the provided material ^[1][2].

For surveillance, the sources emphasize that neuroimaging is essential for diagnosis, while clinical findings and immunological tests provide indirect support ^[3][2]. The revised criteria distinguish absolute, neuroimaging, and clinical/exposure categories, underscoring the need to interpret reported cases in relation to imaging evidence and exposure history ^[3]. In monitoring settings, reported neurocysticercosis should therefore be read as a condition with standardized diagnostic criteria but with circumstantial clinical and serologic evidence playing a supporting role ^[3][2].

1. 1 Garcia HH et al. Taenia solium Cysticercosis and Its Impact in Neurological Disease. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2020 Jun 17. PMID: 32461308. doi: 10.1128/CMR.00085-19. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32461308/
2. 2 Del Brutto OH et al. Human Neurocysticercosis: An Overview. Pathogens. 2022 Oct 20. PMID: 36297269. doi: 10.3390/pathogens11101212. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36297269/
3. 3 Del Brutto OH et al. Revised diagnostic criteria for neurocysticercosis. J Neurol Sci. 2017 Jan 15. PMID: 28017213. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2016.11.045. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28017213/
4. 4 Cysticercosis. Neuroinfections. 2013. doi: 10.1093/med/9780199926633.003.0028. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780199926633.003.0028
5. 5 Cysticercosis. Definitions. 2020. doi: 10.32388/t57qbl. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32388/t57qbl
6. 6 Cysticercosis. Tropical Dermatology. 2001. doi: 10.1201/9781498712750-61. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781498712750-61

ICD-10

B69

ICD-11

Total cases

0

Peak month

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Coverage

0 reporting countries · —