Seroprevalence of Porcine Cysticercosis in South-Eastern Côte d'Ivoire

Abstract : Background : porcine cysticercosis is an endemic parasitic zoonosis in many developing countries. The objective was to estimate the seroprevalence of porcine cysticercosis in traditional pig farms in the departments of Dabou, Aboisso and Agboville where blood samples were taken from pigs and analyzed by ELISA (IgG) and western blot. Data on farming practices and pig characteristics were collected. Categorical variables were compared with the Chi2 test and continuous variables with the Student test. Multivariate logistic regression models were constructed to identify risk factors. Results: A total of 668 pigs were sampled from 116 farms. The seroprevalence of cysticercosis was estimated at 13.2%. Overweight [ORa=2.6; 95%CI(1.3-4.9)] and fat pigs [ORa=2.3; 95%CI(1.0-4.8)] were twice as likely to be seropositive for cysticercosis. This risk was increased in farms using well water for drinking [aOR=2.5; 95%CI(1.0-6.3)] as well as those reporting veterinary care of the animals (ORa=2.9; 95%CI (1.2-7.3)). Conclusions: This study demonstrated the circulation of T. solium in pig farms in southern Côte d'Ivoire.