BACKGROUND: Taenia multiceps coenurosis is endemic in sheep from various regions worldwide. Dogs, the key hosts, shed T. multiceps eggs in their feces contaminating the pasture, and lambs are mostly infected during their first turnout into pastures. The disease is manifested in two forms: acute (due to the migrating oncospheres in the CNS) or chronic (due to the developing coenuri in the brain or spinal cord). Both forms are frequently accompanied by neurological symptoms.
METHODS: Field trials conducted in an endemic region (Sardinia, Italy) to treat replacement lambs in six sheep flocks infected with acute coenurosis are summarized in this article. The article also reviews earlier reports on various approaches developed to treat and immunize sheep against coenurosis.
RESULTS: Accurate detection of the time in which lambs become infected is crucial in deciding which treatment approach should be used. Acute disease can be successfully treated via chemotherapy. Results of field trials conducted in Sardinia revealed the efficacy of three (1-week apart) oxfendazole doses (14.15 mg/kg) in protecting apparently healthy lambs in the infected flocks from developing neurological symptoms. A single praziquantel dose (18.75 mg/kg) worked well for the same purpose and was also found significant in treating 5 of 16 clinically ill lambs in one flock. Earlier reports documented high rates of recovery (up to 100%) in clinically diseased lambs that received much higher doses (50-100 mg/kg) of praziquantel. However, chemotherapy is not preferred in chronic coenurosis since it can lead to rupture of the coenuri, giving rise to serious inflammation in the CNS. Surgical intervention is highly recommended in this case, and the pooled success rates for surgery in chronic-infected cases was estimated at 82.1% (95% CI 73.1-91.0%). However, various trials have been conducted to immunize sheep against T. multiceps coenurosis, and the 18k (Tm18) family of oncosphere antigens was found promising as a vaccine candidate.
CONCLUSIONS: In acute coenurosis, selection of the proper anthelmintic should be done after consulting the owner for several reasons: (1) costs of the used anthelmintic: treating a small flock of 100 sheep costs around 1170 and 660 € for praziquantel and oxfendazole, respectively; (2) withdrawal time of the used anthelmintic: No time is required before consuming meat and milk from praziquantel-treated sheep, whereas meat and milk from oxfendazole-treated sheep should not be consumed for 44 and 9 days, respectively, causing additional costs for the farmers. Since no commercial vaccines have yet been developed against T. multiceps coenurosis in sheep, preventive measures remain the cornerstone of controlling this serious disease.

Biliary taeniasis is uncommon in clinical practice. We report two cases in our hospital. The first patient was diagnosed with acute biliary pancreatitis. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) showed a white, flat, segmented 1-cm-wide tapeworm drilling into the duodenal papilla that was identified as Taenia saginata. After tapeworm removal, bile duct sweeping, and anthelmintic therapy, the patient recovered uneventfully. The second patient was diagnosed with acute cholangitis and multiple stones in the common bile duct and gallbladder. Emergency ERCP showed no tapeworm in the duodenum. During a subsequent ERCP 6 days later, a flat tapeworm, also T. saginata, was identified drilling into the duodenal papilla. We review five patients cases with acute acalculous cholecystitis or cholangitis caused by T. saginata or Taenia solium, and 1 patient with T. saginata drilling into the T-tube. Taeniasis should be taken into consideration when dealing with biliary and pancreatic disease.

Taenia solium is a tapeworm that causes taeniosis in humans and cysticercosis in humans and pigs. Within Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA), information on the presence of human taeniosis and cysticercosis seems scarce. This systematic review aimed to describe the current information available and gaps in the epidemiology of human T. solium infections in ESA.
Scientific literature published between 1st January 2000 and 20th June 2022 in international databases [MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), Global Health (Ovid), Scopus (Elsevier), African Index Medicus (via WHO Global Index Medicus), and Open Grey] was systematically reviewed for ESA. The study area included 27 countries that make up the ESA region. Information on either taeniosis, cysticercosis or NCC was available for 16 of 27 countries within the region and a total of 113 reports were retained for the review. Most case reports for cysticercosis and NCC were from South Africa, while Tanzania had the most aggregated cysticercosis reports. Eleven countries reported on NCC with seven countries reporting data on NCC and epilepsy. Unconfirmed human T. solium taeniosis cases were reported in nine countries while two countries (Madagascar and Zambia) reported confirmed T. solium cases. The cysticercosis seroprevalence ranged between 0.7-40.8% on antigen (Ag) ELISA and between 13.1-45.3% on antibody (Ab) ELISA. Based on immunoblot tests the Ab seroprevalence was between 1.7-39.3%, while the proportion of NCC-suggestive lesions on brain CT scans was between 1.0-76% depending on the study population. The human taeniosis prevalence based on microscopy ranged between 0.1-14.7%. Based on Copro Ag-ELISA studies conducted in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia, the highest prevalence of 19.7% was reported in Kenya.
Despite the public health and economic impact of T. solium in ESA, there are still large gaps in knowledge about the occurrence of the parasite, and the resulting One Health disease complex, and monitoring of T. solium taeniosis and cysticercosis is mostly not in place.

Taenia solium is a tapeworm of global importance due to the burden of disease associated with human epilepsy caused by neurocysticercosis. Unfortunately, diagnostic challenges impede control efforts in many low and middle-income countries. This review examines publications concerning Taenia species in the Lao PDR with a focus on T. solium to inform future research and control programmes.
PubMed and Scopus databases were primary sources of evidence. Publications must have reported taeniasis or T. solium results from Lao PDR. Publications repeating results or samples were combined into unique projects.
A total of 64 publications were included and summarised into 46 projects. The majority of projects applied faecal microscopy as their only diagnostic technique. As a result, the specific species of Taenia was often not determined. Only five projects used molecular techniques to identify the species observed. Only case report of neurocysticercosis has been published. The northern region was included in half the number of projects compared to the south, despite being a high-risk area T. solium.
The diagnostic challenge of determining the species of Taenia present in a faecal sample presents a significant limitation to the control of T. solium in Lao PDR and is an experience that is relevant to many other low and middle-income countries. There must be an improved understanding of the distribution and frequency of T. solium if disease control efforts are to be intensified to reduce the burden of neurocysticercosis, as encouraged by WHO and others. It is hoped that this can be achieved through non-biological risk mapping tools and the more frequent application of molecular tools to routine sample collection. Diagnostic tools that are applicable to low resource settings should be a priority area of research for T. solium.

UNASSIGNED: Taenia saginata (T. saginata) is one of the most common cestodes in humans. Isolated perforation of the small bowel after blunt abdominal trauma is infrequent and the diagnosis should be based on exclusion.
METHODS: We report a case of a 34-year-old man who presented following a car-pedestrian accident. Clinical examinations and symptoms suggested an acute abdomen. Investigations led to the diagnosis of hollow viscus perforation, so emergency laparotomy was performed. At the exploration of peritoneal cavity, unexpectedly, a live tapeworm was found in the peritoneal cavity. The perforation was repaired and medication were continued by anthelmintic. He was discharged with good condition.
UNASSIGNED: We discuss this rare incidental finding in a patient with bowel perforation and suggest the taeniasis as a possible cause of intestinal perforation. The medical literature and reviews have been searched to find more information about taeniasis and its cause-effect in GI tract complications.
CONCLUSIONS: Increasing the public knowledge about food hygiene and encouraging eat well-cooked meat can control the cycle of transmission of cestodes. Taeniasis should be considered a possible cause of intestinal obstruction or perforation, especially in endemic areas.

UNASSIGNED: To describe the clinicopathological features of human coenurosis diagnosed at a single center in an academic Anatomical Pathology Laboratory, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
UNASSIGNED: This was a 10-year retrospective laboratory based study, from 2011-2020, which reappraised the clinical presentation, histomorphological tissue reaction patterns and outcomes in patients diagnosed with coenurosis.
UNASSIGNED: Five cases of coenurosis and 19 cases of cysticercosis were diagnosed during the study period. Following re-appraisal of the slides, 6 cases of coenurosis were confirmed and included in the study cohort. The anatomical distribution of disease was as follows: brain (1), liver (1), eye (1) and soft tissue (3). There were 3 males and 3 females and the patients\' age ranged from 2 to 46 (mean 22.2) yr. Three patients were HIV positive whilst the clinical history of the infection was not available for the other 3 patients. All patients presented with mass effect related symptoms, ranging from headache to a painful soft tissue swelling. Two cases displayed synovial metaplasia in addition to characteristic chronic subacute inflammation and fibrosis. One case had supportive inflammation. Two cases comprised of coenuri exclusively and therefore it was not possible to assess tissue reaction.
UNASSIGNED: We describe the first cases of human coenurosis in HIV positive patients and for the first time report synovial metaplasia as one of the reaction patterns of coenurosis. Whenever cysticercosis and hydatidosis are considered clinically, a negative serology should prompt clinicians to consider coenurosis in addition to the neoplastic diagnostic considerations.

Floods have affected 2.3 billion people worldwide in the last 20 years, and are associated with a wide range of negative health outcomes. Climate change is projected to increase the number of people exposed to floods due to more variable precipitation and rising sea levels. Vulnerability to floods is highly dependent on economic wellbeing and other societal factors. Therefore, this systematic review synthesizes the evidence on health effects of flood exposure among the population of sub-Saharan Africa.
We systematically searched two databases, Web of Science and PubMed, to find published articles. We included studies that (1) were published in English from 2010 onwards, (2) presented associations between flood exposure and health indicators, (3) focused on sub-Saharan Africa, and (4) relied on a controlled study design, such as cohort studies, case-control studies, cross-sectional studies, or quasi-experimental approaches with a suitable comparator, for instance individuals who were not exposed to or affected by floods or individuals prior to experiencing a flood.
Out of 2306 screened records, ten studies met our eligibility criteria. We included studies that reported the impact of floods on water-borne diseases (n = 1), vector-borne diseases (n = 8) and zoonotic diseases (n = 1). Five of the ten studies assessed the connection between flood exposure and malaria. One of these five evaluated the impact of flood exposure on malaria co-infections. The five non-malaria studies focused on cholera, scabies, taeniasis, Rhodesian sleeping sickness, alphaviruses and flaviviruses. Nine of the ten studies reported significant increases in disease susceptibility after flood exposure.
The majority of included studies of the aftermath of floods pointed to an increased risk of infection with cholera, scabies, taeniasis, Rhodesian sleeping sickness, malaria, alphaviruses and flaviviruses. However, long-term health effects, specifically on mental health, non-communicable diseases and pregnancy, remain understudied. Further research is urgently needed to improve our understanding of the health risks associated with floods, which will inform public policies to prevent and reduce flood-related health risks.

Taeniasis is an intestinal helminth infection due to adult tapeworms belonging to the genus Taenia. Taeniasis remains a major burden in low-income countries in Asia. We present a case of intestinal perforation caused by adult tapeworm of Taenia in a 50-year-old Nepali male. The patients presented to the hospital with severe abdominal pain and intermittent vomiting. Following clinical presentations and imaging features, gastrointestinal perforation was suspected. Surgical removal of adult tapeworm of Taenia, suspected to be T. saginata or T. asiatica, was carried out during exploratory laparotomy, which was followed by an uneventful postoperative period. In addition to case presentation, we systematically review published case reports on taeniasis-related intestinal perforation. A learning point from this case is clinician should maintain a clinical suspicion of taeniasis as a possible cause of intestinal perforation in endemic areas.

BACKGROUND: Tapeworm infections are among the tropical neglected parasitic diseases endemically occurring in Ethiopia. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims at estimating the pooled prevalence and distribution of Taenia and Echinococcus infections in humans and animals from reports from Ethiopia.
METHODS: The systematic search was conducted in four bibliographic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Africa Journal Online and Science Direct). Additional data were retrieved from grey literature. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were considered for the systematic review and meta-analysis. The meta-analysis was conducted using MetaXL add-in for Microsoft Excel. Heterogeneity and inconsistency were evaluated using Cochran\'s Q and I2 statistics, respectively.
RESULTS: The study provides a country-based database of Taenia and Echinococcus infections consisting of 311 datasets from 201 publications which were mostly abattoir surveys; of these, 251 datasets were subjected to meta-analysis. Most of the studies were from Oromia (32.8%) followed by Amhara (22.9%) regional states. The pooled prevalence of cystic echinococcosis in intermediate and accidental hosts was calculated as 22% (95% CI 18-26%) and high study variability (Q = 24,420.65, I2 = 100%, P = 0.000). Moreover, a pooled prevalence of Echinococcus infections in final hosts was calculated as 33% (95% CI 20-48%) and low study variability (Q = 17.24, I2 = 65%, P = 0.001). Similarly, study subjects (human, cattle, sheep, goat and wolf) were infected by Taenia spp. with pooled prevalence of 3% (95% CI 2-4%) and moderate study variability (Q = 279.07, I2 = 89, P = 0.000). Meanwhile, the pooled prevalence of Taenia hydatigena, T. ovis and T. multiceps infections in intermediate hosts were calculated as 38%, 14% and 5%, respectively. The random effect meta-analysis of bovine cysticercosis showed a pooled prevalence of 7% (95% CI 5-9%) and high study variability was of (Q = 4458.76; I2 = 99%, P = 0.000). Significant differences in prevalence of Taenia and Echinococcus infections between study sites or different livestock origins have been reported.
CONCLUSIONS: The study evidenced a comprehensive dataset on the prevalence and distribution of Taenia and Echinococcus infections at different interfaces by regions and hosts and hence can aid in the design of more effective control strategies.

Taenia solium is a zoonotic parasite that causes taeniasis and cysticercosis in humans (as final hosts) and cysticercosis in pigs (as intermediate hosts). The Russian Federation (RF) is traditionally considered as endemic for this zoonosis. However, the epidemiological data on T. solium infection have not been reviewed for the past 20 years, in which time dynamic economical and societal changes have occurred in the RF. The aim of this systematic review was to analyse the status of T. solium infection in RF in the 2000-2019 period. A literature search was conducted, which collected published articles, grey literature and official data on the epidemiology of T. solium taeniasis and cysticercosis in the RF published from 2000. From a total of 2021 articles and 24 official reports originally returned by the search, data were extracted from 12 full text articles and 11 official reports. Taenia solium taeniasis was continuously reported in the RF between 2000 and 2019, with a tenfold decrease in the incidence, from 0.2 per 100,000 population in 2000 to 0.023/100,000 in 2019. Also, the number of administrative units where taeniasis was detected continuously decreased. Cysticercosis in pigs had a declining trend after 2006. In conclusion, although decreasing, T. solium infection is still endemic in several regions and suspected to be endemic in most of the RF.