Assessing the burden of human cysticercosis in Vietnam.

Objectives: To describe the occurrence of cysticercosis in patients living in rural areas of Northern Vietnam presenting clinical signs of neurocysticercosis.

Methods: Serological antigen detection, reflecting current infection with viable larval stages of Taenia solium, was used to estimate the prevalence of active cysticercosis in this patient population.

Results: The seroprevalence in epileptic patient population was <10%. However, antigen detection cannot detect dead cysticerci, which may also cause clinical signs. Therefore, the seroprevalence figures shown here may underestimate the role of neurocysticercosis as a causal agent of epilepsy and headaches in this population.

Conclusions: Human and porcine cysticercosis remain public and veterinary public health problems in Northern Vietnam and probably in other parts of the country.