Sensitivity of partial carcass dissection for assessment of porcine cysticercosis at necropsy

MW Lightowlers; E Assana; CM Jayashi; CG Gauci; M Donadeu

Journal article

Sensitivity of partial carcass dissection for assessment of porcine cysticercosis at necropsy

MW Lightowlers, E Assana, CM Jayashi, CG Gauci, M Donadeu

International Journal for Parasitology | Published : 2015

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2015.08.004

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Abstract

Many interventions against Taenia solium are evaluated by assessing changes in the prevalence of porcine cysticercosis ascertained by carcass dissection. Financial and logistical difficulties often prohibit dissection of entire pig carcasses. We assessed 209 pigs from rural areas of Cameroon and Peru for the presence of T. solium cysticerci and determined the distribution of parasites within the musculature of infected animals. Considering the presence of cysts in the tongue, masticatory muscles and heart, 31 of the 38 (81%) naturally infected animals were identified as having cysts. Dissection of only the tongue, masticatory muscles and heart provides a relatively sensitive and highly speci..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Marshall Lightowlers Author

Charles Gauci Author

Meritxell Donadeu Author

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Grants

Awarded by Wellcome Trust

Funding Acknowledgements

Funding is acknowledged from The Wellcome Trust, Animal Health in the Developing World Grant 075818, UK and the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Grants 1003546 and 1043327. The authors thank the Cysticercosis Working Group in Tumbes, Peru for their support during animal necropsies.