WHO Taenia solium endemicity map – 2022 update

Overview

Taeniasis and cysticercosis caused by the parasite Taenia solium are neglected zoonotic diseases. While taeniasis is generally asymptomatic, cysticercosis in the central nervous system of humans (neuro-cysticercosis) caused by the larval stages can be a very serious disease, accounting for up to 70% of cases of epilepsy in some communities. Pigs are the intermediate host for the parasite, and the key risk factors for the presence of the transmission cycle are free-roaming pigs and poor sanitation that allows the pigs to be in contact with contaminated human faeces.

The WHO map of T. solium endemicity was last updated in 2015. We present here a more recent update based on a similar method to indicate areas where there is or is likely to be full transmission of the parasite’s life cycle.