Prevalence of Taeniosis among humans in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa

Introduction: Taeniosis is a parasitic disease caused by the adult stage of the zoonotic cestode, Taenia spp. Humans become infected by eating raw/undercooked beef or pork contaminated with Taenia saginata or T. solium cysticerci, respectively. Taenia infections can result in serious diseases such as neurocysticercosis and lead to major economic losses through the downgrading of cysticerci-infected meat. Although taeniosis is a major risk factor for cysticercosis, there are currently few reports on the prevalence of taeniosis in South Africa. Accordingly, this research aims to determine the prevalence of taeniosis in Mpumalanga Province using morphological and molecular techniques.

Methods: Routine laboratory-submitted stool samples originating from adults were obtained from a private pathology laboratory. Samples were examined for the presence of tapeworm proglottids macroscopically, and the detection of taeniid ova was performed by examining wet mounts of the stool samples using microscopy. Species identification was carried out by injecting adult tapeworm proglottids with Indian ink to highlight morphological differences.

Results: Out of 221 stool samples tested thus far, a 2.26% prevalence of taeniosis has been recorded, with positive samples originating from Nkangala and Ehlanzeni districts of the province. Proglottids observed in the positive samples were all identified to be from T. saginata. The preliminary results from this study correlate with published findings in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, with prevalence ranging between 0.78% and 3.8%. Molecular techniques are yet to be conducted to confirm the prevalence of taeniosis in Mpumalanga Province.

Conclusion: South African cases of taeniosis are not mandatorily reportable, despite the clinical and consequential economic impact when livestock become infected. There is a need for targeted public health interventions, improved food safety measures, and enhanced surveillance strategies to mitigate the burden of taeniosis in endemic regions such as South Africa.