SECONDARY TRANSMISSION IN PORCINE CYSTICERCOSIS: DESCRIPTION AND THEIR POTENTIAL IMPLICATIONS FOR CONTROL SUSTAINABILITY

ARMANDO E. GONZALEZ School of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru; Department of Microbiology, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Cysticercosis Unit, Instituto de Ciencias Neurológicas, Lima, Peru; Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Immunology Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia

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TERESA LÓPEZ-URBINA School of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru; Department of Microbiology, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Cysticercosis Unit, Instituto de Ciencias Neurológicas, Lima, Peru; Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Immunology Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia

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BYRON Y. TSANG School of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru; Department of Microbiology, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Cysticercosis Unit, Instituto de Ciencias Neurológicas, Lima, Peru; Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Immunology Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia

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CÉSAR M. GAVIDIA School of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru; Department of Microbiology, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Cysticercosis Unit, Instituto de Ciencias Neurológicas, Lima, Peru; Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Immunology Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia

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HÉCTOR H. GARCIA School of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru; Department of Microbiology, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Cysticercosis Unit, Instituto de Ciencias Neurológicas, Lima, Peru; Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Immunology Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia

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MARÍA E. SILVA School of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru; Department of Microbiology, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Cysticercosis Unit, Instituto de Ciencias Neurológicas, Lima, Peru; Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Immunology Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia

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DAPHNE D. RAMOS School of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru; Department of Microbiology, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Cysticercosis Unit, Instituto de Ciencias Neurológicas, Lima, Peru; Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Immunology Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia

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RAFAEL MANZANEDO School of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru; Department of Microbiology, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Cysticercosis Unit, Instituto de Ciencias Neurológicas, Lima, Peru; Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Immunology Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia

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LELIA SÁNCHEZ-HIDALGO School of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru; Department of Microbiology, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Cysticercosis Unit, Instituto de Ciencias Neurológicas, Lima, Peru; Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Immunology Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia

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ROBERT H. GILMAN School of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru; Department of Microbiology, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Cysticercosis Unit, Instituto de Ciencias Neurológicas, Lima, Peru; Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Immunology Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia

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VICTOR C. W. TSANG School of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru; Department of Microbiology, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Cysticercosis Unit, Instituto de Ciencias Neurológicas, Lima, Peru; Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Immunology Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia

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THE CYSTICERCOSIS WORKING GROUP IN PERU School of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru; Department of Microbiology, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Cysticercosis Unit, Instituto de Ciencias Neurológicas, Lima, Peru; Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland; Immunology Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.2005.73.501
Volume/Issue:
Volume 73: Issue 3
Page(s):
501–503
Restricted access
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Taenia solium taeniasis/cysticercosis is one of few potentially eradicable infectious diseases and is the target of control programs in several countries. The larval stage of this zoonotic cestode invades the human brain and is responsible for most cases of adult-onset epilepsy in the world. The pig is the natural intermediate host, harboring the larvae or cysticerci. Our current understanding of the life cycle implicates humans as the only definitive host and tapeworm carrier (developing taeniasis) and thus the sole source of infective eggs that are responsible for cysticercosis in both human and pigs through oral-fecal transmission. Here we show evidence of an alternative pig-to-pig route of transmission, previously not suspected to exist. In a series of four experiments, naive sentinel pigs were exposed to pigs that had been infected orally with tapeworm segments (containing infective eggs) and moved to a clean environment. Consistently in all four experiments, at least one of the sentinel pigs became seropositive or infected with parasite cysts with much lower cyst burdens than did primarily infected animals. Second-hand transmission of Taenia solium eggs could explain the overdispersed pattern of porcine cysticercosis, with few pigs harboring heavy parasite burdens and many more harboring small numbers of parasites. This route of transmission opens new avenues for consideration with respect to control strategies.

Author Notes

Reprint requests: Armando E. Gonzalez, School of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Av. Circunvalacion s/n, Salamanca de Monterrico, Lima 3, Peru, Telephone: +511 4368938, Fax: +511 4488931, E-mail: emico@terra.com.pe.
Copyright:
Copyright 2005 The American Society of Tropical Medicine 2005
Received:
14 Dec 2004
|
Accepted:
11 Mar 2005
|
Published Online:
Sep 2005
Cover The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Print ISSN:
0002-9637
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