KUALA LUMPUR: Up to eight million people globally suffer from neurocysticercosis (epilepsy and neurological symptoms) - a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by the pork tapeworm (taenia solium).
Hundreds of millions more who do not even consume pork, are also believed to be suffering or are at risk of having similar ailments affecting their brains.
This danger comes by way of the rapidly-developing taenia solium eggs which are transmitted from an infected human to another healthy, unsuspecting person in close contact.
Fulbright specialist scholar in public global health Prof Rosina Claudia Krecek from the United States warned the World Health Organisation (WHO) that 30 per cent of epilepsy cases in many endemic areas were because people and roaming pigs lived in close proximity.
"Pork tapeworm includes a pig-to human transmission, and a human-to-human transmission. These are separate.
"The pig-to-human transmission takes place when free-ranging pigs ingest pork tapeworm eggs in the environment where infected humans defecate in open areas.
"Human-to-human transmission of taenia solium eggs takes place by ingesting contaminated food or water, or because of poor hygiene, via the fecal-oral route," she said.
Rosina added that the infected pig develops cysts in its meat which is referred to as “pearly pork”.
"If humans ingest these cysts (in infected undercooked meat) an adult tapeworm develops in their intestine which is referred to as taeniosis," she said in her keynote address at the opening of the 56th Annual Scientific Conference of the Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine at Hotel Istana here.
Her keynote was titled “How a One Health Approach Mitigates Neglected Tropical Diseases”.
The conference was held in conjunction with the 3rd Asian Simuliidae Symposium themed: Neglected, Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases: The Evolution of One Health from Challenges to Solutions.
Rosina, who is an expert in neglected tropical zoonotic parasitic and infectious diseases, has published over 230 scientific papers and book chapters, and presented 333 seminars in 47 countries.
She was also awarded the South African Agricultural Science and Technology’s Woman of the Year and served as President of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology from 1999-2003.
Earlier in her career in Africa, Rosina found that the NTD made a lasting impact when she learned that 28-50 per cent of human epileptics included many children who were infected with pork tapeworm.
She was awarded funding to study this NTD in 21 villages in South Africa.
"Findings included 65 per cent prevalence in pigs, and risk factors to the human community showed that 48 per cent lacked latrines, 98 per cent slaughtered pigs at home, and 99 per cent had no meat inspection available," she said.
On another note, she said that one billion, or one sixth of the world’s population, suffer from NTDs in 146 countries.
Rosina has since developed an effective five step "One Health" approach which is measurable.
Among these steps include: identifying societal needs (such as NTDs); building collaborations and interdisciplinary teams; investing time to build trust; building sustainable research, education and outreach programmes.
“It is also critical to measure well and to manage well,” she said.
WHO has listed 17 NTDs that include taeniosis and neurocysticercosis, dengue and rabies.
“One Health is an approach to design and implement programmes, policies, legislation and research in which multiple sectors communicate and work together to achieve better public health outcomes.
"The areas of work in which a 'One Health' approach is particularly relevant include food safety, the control of zoonoses (diseases that can spread between animals and humans) and combatting antibiotic resistance (when bacteria changes after being exposed to antibiotics and becomes more difficult to treat).
“Such programmes build effective teams and establishes trust with communities
and stakeholders to mitigate and manage these societal needs,” she said.
It is critical to work with WHO in the current 2021-2030 road map for NTDs to eliminate these diseases in the estimated 146 countries where they continue to affect mostly marginalised populations.