Taeniasis/cysticercosis among Family Members in Villages of Jayawijaya District, Papua

Abstract

The area of Jayawijaya, including the Subdistricts of Wamena and Assologaima, is a hyperendemic area of taeniasis/cysticercosis. The disease is considered as a household disease because often if one family member is infected with the disease we can also expect other family members with the same disease. The aim of this study is to obtain data on the condition of taeniasis/cysticercosis in families living in a complex of houses (silimo) and to know the distribution of cysticercosis patients living together with taeniasis patients (adult worm carriers). A limited study was conducted using a test on the detection of antibodies against antigen Taenia solium and the ELISA-coproantigen test. The immunoblot test used purified glycoproteins (GP) as a Taenia solium antigen. Antibodies anti-cysticercosis were detected in 51.7% of 89 human sera samples. The seroprevalence of families in Wamena (68.4%, 26/38) was higher in comparison with that in Assologaima (35.3%, 18/51), men (61.2%, 30/49) were more infected than women (40.0, 16/40). In addition positive ELISA-coproantigen was found in 2.4% (3/42) of the families in Assologaima, whereas in 5 families in Wamena as well as in Assologaima family members were found seropositive without an individu with coproantigen positive in their families living in their respectively silimo’s. In hyperendemic areas of taeniasis/cysticercosis one can be infected by his family living in the same complex of houses as well as by other families. All adult worm carriers are contaminating the whole environment.