Neurocysticercosis in Europe

Abstract

Joob and Wiwanitkit [1] raised two points regarding our paper on neurocysticercosis in Western Europe [2]. First, they considered that there should be comparative data to support our suggestions that the prevalence of neurocysticercosis in Western Europe may be on the rise. This was based on the comparison of reported cases over the past four decades. As clearly stated on our paper, the number of publications and patients with neurocysticercosis steadily increased from 1970 to 2011. Of the 779 patients captured in our review, only 28 were published from 1970 to 1985, and the remaining 751 were reported from 1996 to date. Such an increase goes far beyond an enhanced interest of physicians for publishing neurocysticercosis cases, and clearly reflects an increase in its prevalence. Regarding the second topic raised by Joob and Wiwanitkit, the authors must have been confused. Taeniasis is a food-borne disease acquired by eating undercooked pork meat infested by cysticerci. In contrast, cysticercosis is mostly transmitted from person-to-person [3, 4]. It would be wise to review the life cycle of Taenia solium—clearly described more than one century ago—before commenting on this point, as it may create confusion among readers who are not familiar with the disease complex taeniasis/ cysticercosis. Humans become infected by cysticerci after ingesting Taenia eggs from a Taenia carrier.