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. 2015 Nov;45(13):815-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2015.08.004. Epub 2015 Sep 15.

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

M W Lightowlers  1 , E Assana  2 , C M Jayashi  3 , C G Gauci  4 , M Donadeu  4
Affiliations

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

M W Lightowlers et al. Int J Parasitol. 2015 Nov.

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 specific method for diagnosis of porcine cysticercosis.

Keywords: Control; Cyst distribution; Cysticercosis; Diagnosis; Pig; Taenia solium.

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Figures

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Graphical abstract
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Intensity of infection with Taenia solium cysticerci in naturally infected pigs from Cameroon (black bars) and Peru (grey bars). Cyst numbers per carcass musculature were grouped by range for 20 infected pigs from Cameroon and 18 infected animals from Peru.
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