Prevalence of Taenia Solium Taeniasis among Community Members of Kiambu County, Kenya

Abstract

Taenia solium Taeniasis is an important zoonotic food borne intestinal parasitic disease causing abdominal pains, diarrhea and stunting in children. Humans get the infection on consumption of raw or under cooked infected pig meat with metacercode larvae or contaminated food and water. Adult worm is found in the intestines of humans, eggs are shed in feces constituting environmental contamination. Disease occurs worldwide but it is endemic where pigs are raised in free range system. A total of three hundred and eighty four stool samples were collected from 386 (163 males and 223 females) randomly selected adult members of the community members in Thika, Kiambu in 2016 for parasitological evaluation by microscopy for T. solium eggs. Each study participant signed an informed consent and provided one stool sample. 

Twenty six of the participants both males and females were found to be positive for T. solium eggs indicating an overall prevalence of 6.74%. Significant associations were observed in relation to latrine use (X²=43.406, p value =0.000), method of pork preparation (X²=10.271, p value=0.006), and frequency of deworming at (X²18.275, p value=0.000). Taenia solium taeniasis is present in the community and in relatively high prevalence.