October 16, 2014
 

Concern raised over zoonotic disease found in Uganda pigs

The number of pigs in a certain area in Central Uganda leading infested with the tapeworm Taenia solium has grown through the years, after apparent neglect of the situation, according to researchers and concerned international agencies.

Researchers, led by Zachary Nsadha of Makerere University in Kampala, said the prevalence of the disease porcine cysticercosis is growing in the Lake Kyoga Basin, noting that it has reached 25.7% after analysing sera from 378 pigs, compared with 8.6% in 2005. They described the increase in prevalence within a six-year period as dramatic.

The World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and UK Department for International Development (DFID) have acknowledged T. solium as a neglected zoonotic disease, and the WHO recently included it in its road map for the control of neglected tropical diseases. A zoonotic disease is one that is transmitted to humans. An infected person can suffer from epilepsy and even die.

The researchers noted that the pig that has eaten the eggs of the parasite Taenia solium serves as its intermediate host while the person who has eaten poorly cooked infected meat serves as the definitive host.

The WHO, FAO and DFID said there was a need for a study to understand the epidemiology of the parasite in the intermediate host before designing suitable intervention strategies to improve public health.