Neurocysticercosis in travelers: A nation-wide study in IsraelArchived
Cysticercosis is the infection by the larval form of Taenia solium. The authors describe 9 cases of neurocysticercosis - diagnosed in Israeli travellers during a period of 15 years.
Eyal Leshem, Iris Kliers, Mati Bakon, Moshe Gomori, Rebekah Karplus and Eli Schwartz.J Travel Med. 2011 18 (3):191-197
Cysticercosis is the infection by the larval form of Taenia solium. The authors describe 9 cases of neurocysticercosis diagnosed in Israeli travellers during a period of 15 years. Patients had travelled to South and/or Asia. The most common symptom at diagnosis was a seizure. The average interval between return from the suspected travel and symptom onset was 3.2 ± 1.8 years.
ECDC comment: Neurocysticercosis is endemic in many resource-limited countries. In western countries, it is mostly encountered among immigrant populations but is rare in other travellers. This report reminds that food and water safety practices have to be reinforced in people planning to stay for long periods in endemic regions. A common misleading recommendation is pork avoidance, but it has no role in the prevention of this disease.
