Taenia asiatica: the Most Neglected Human Taenia and the Possibility of Cysticercosis.

Author: M Teresa GALAN-PUCHADES ¹ ; Mario V FUENTES
Author Information

1. Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Av. Vicent Andres Estelles s/n, 46100 Burjasssot (Valencia), Spain. mteresa.galan@uv.es
Publication Type:Review
Keywords: Taenia asiatica; Taenia solium; Taenia saginata; human taeniasis; cysticercosis
MeSH: Animals; Clinical Laboratory Techniques/methods; Humans; Neglected Diseases/*epidemiology/*parasitology; Parasitology/methods; Taenia/*isolation & purification/pathogenicity; Taeniasis/diagnosis/*epidemiology/*parasitology
From:The Korean Journal of Parasitology 2013;51(1):51-54
CountryRepublic of Korea
Language:English
Abstract: Not only Taenia solium and Taenia saginata, but also Taenia asiatica infects humans. The last species is not included in the evaluation of the specificity of the immunodiagnostic techniques for taeniasis/cysticercosis. There is currently no specific immunodiagnostic method for T. asiatica available. Therefore, due to the fact that molecular techniques (the only tool to distinguish the 3 Taenia species) are normally not employed in routine diagnostic methods, the 2 questions concerning T. asiatica (its definite geographic distribution and its ability to cause human cysticercosis), remain open, turning T. asiatica into the most neglected agent of human taeniasis-cysticercosis.