Cysticercosis, a Neglected Disease

Dear Colleagues,

Toward a cysticercosis free world ?

Cysticercosis is an underestimated public health concern in most tropical countries, sustaining a large part of secondary epilepsy. Whereas consumption of uncooked pork meat triggers taeniasis, cysticercosis is caused by the larva of Taenia solium tapeworm. Transmission to humans is through food or water contaminated by the eggs of the worms. Cysticercosis is thus present all over the world, even in populations that do not consume pork such as in Muslim countries, triggering 50,000 deaths yearly. However, T. solium and T. saginata life cycles are very simple, i.e., from human to animal or from human to human. Poor sanitation access and uncontrolled free-ranging pig production accelerate the propagation of the worm. Proper sanitation organization would enable the elimination of these diseases. This leads to a very important question: why has cysticercosis not been eliminated yet? Why is it still an issue today? Epidemiology of the disease is important to understand where to develop control activities, whereas studies on the biology of the parasite can provide new usable data for treatment and diagnosis.

Microorganisms is launching a Special Issue on this disease which will be the place to summarize our knowledge and understanding of pittfalls to progress to this elimination process. I am very pleased to lead this issue and to invite you to contribute.

Dr. Ronan Jambou
Guest Editor

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