Human and porcine Taenia solium infection in a village in the highlands of Cusco, Peru

A serological survey was performed using the enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot assay (EITB) in a village in the highlands of Peru where there are three distinct but close neighborhoods, to determine if there is a direct relationship between human and porcine Taenia solium infection. One hundred and eight out of 365 individuals were sampled, and 14 were seropositive (human seroprevalence 13%). Most seropositive individuals were neurologically asymptomatic. Thirty-eight out of 89 sampled pigs (43%) were seropositive. There was a clear geographical clustering of cases, and positive correlation between human and porcine seroprevalence was found when comparing the three neighborhoods. Cysticercosis is an important cause of neurological morbidity in most developing countries, and control/eradication trials are now being increasingly applied. Porcine serology provides an appropriate indicator of T. solium environmental contamination and should be used to estimate the risk of infection when evaluating control measures.