Seroprevalence of circulating taeniid antigens in pigs and associated risk factors in Kongwa district, Tanzania

The aim of this study was to investigate exposure to porcine cysticercosis (PC) and asso-ciated risk factors in the Kongwa District, eastern-central Tanzania. For thefirst time across-sectional investigation of the seroprevalence in pigs using a commercial genusspecific cysticercosis enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (apDia Ag-ELISA) was under-taken in eastern-central Tanzania. Moreover, the identity of suspectedT. soliumcysts frompigs in the study area were confirmed by sequencing parasites’mitochondrialcox1gene.Structured questionnaires and direct observations were used to investigate risk factorsassociated with parasite transmission. A total of 102 pig-keeping households were sur-veyed during the dry season between July and August 2017 and 126 households in therainy season between March and April 2018. Of the 447 examined pigs, 77 (17%, 95% C.I.14%e20%) tested positive in the ELISA. Seroprevalence was higher in pigs examined duringthe rainy (21%, 95% C.I. 16%e26%) than dry (12%, 95% C.I. 7%e17%) season (p¼0.019). Eightcyst-positive-pigs were confirmed to be infected withT. soliumby sequencing. Risk factorsassociated with PC seropositivity included origin of piglets or pigs (OR¼0.27, 95% C.I. 0.13e0.42, p¼0.001), socioeconomic factors and pig production system (OR¼0.22, 95% C.I.0.07e0.37, p¼0.005) and sanitation and hygiene practices (OR¼0.19, 95% C.I. 0.04e0.34,p¼0.014). This study has recorded a highTaeniaspp. seroprevalence in pigs in Kongwasuggesting the presence of people in the community carrying the adult parasite,Taeniasolium. Ourfindings also suggest risk of infection byT. soliumto people in urban centresand cities consuming pigs from rural areas in Kongwa. The high seroprevalence in Kongwacalls for further studies on taeniasis and cysticercosis in the human population in order todetermine suitable control strategies.