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Public Health Implications of Cysticercosis Acquired in the United States

2010; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Volume: 17; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3201/eid1701.101210

1080-6059

Frank Sorvillo, Patricia P. Wilkins, Shira Shafir, Mark Eberhard,

Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health

Cysticercosis has emerged as a cause of severe neurologic disease in the United States that primarily affects immigrants from Latin America. Moreover, the relevance of cysticercosis as a public health problem has been highlighted by local transmission. We searched the biomedical literature for reports documenting cases of cysticercosis acquired in the United States. A total of 78 cases, principally neurocysticercosis, were reported from 12 states during 1954-2005. A confirmed or presumptive source of infection was identified among household members or close personal contacts of 16 (21%) case-patients. Several factors, including the severe, potentially fatal, nature of cysticercosis; its fecal-oral route of transmission; the considerable economic effect; the availability of a sensitive and specific serologic test for infection by adult Taenia solium tapeworms; and the demonstrated ability to find a probable source of infection among contacts, all provide a compelling rationale for implementation of public health control efforts.