American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · 1994 · 48 citations · 0 references
Veterinary MedicineAnimal SciencesInfectious DiseasesParasitologyVeterinary Parasitic DiseasesZoonotic Disease EpidemiologyAntigen Detection AssaysParasitic Disease DiagnosisParasitic Infestation DetectionSurveillance Of Parasitic DiseasesSwine ParasitologyZoonotic Disease DetectionDisease Detection In SwineEndemic Disease DynamicsEnvironmental Contamination MappingHuman Risk AssessmentHuman Risk ManagementParasitic SerologySerology For Parasitic DiseasesTaenia Solium Detection
We tested a novel approach to assay Taenia solium prevalence using the enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot assay in sentinel piglets to determine environmental contamination with T. solium eggs in a disease-endemic zone in Peru. Twelve sentinel piglets from an area where the disease is not present were tested at two months of age, moved to an area where the disease is endemic, and retested at the of age nine months. Sentinel piglets native from this T. solium-endemic area were also tested concurrently at two and nine months of age. Of the non-native pigs, 33% (4 of 12) acquired new infection. Of the 28 native pigs tested, 64% (18 of 28) acquired the infection. In a subset of the native piglets from seronegative sows, 44% (4 of 9) were infected at five months of age. Serodiagnosis of sentinel piglets is a practical method to detect T. solium eggs in the environment. Furthermore, it permits indirect assessment of human risk, which may be useful for monitoring the efficacy of intervention programs.