Needs of exploring the burden of recent onset seizures due to neurocysticercosis and challenges in southeast Asia focusing on scenario in Malaysia

Priyadarshi S Sahu; Yvonne A L Lim; Rohela Mahmud; Sushela D Somanath; Chong T Tan; C P Ramachandran

doi:10.1016/j.apjtm.2017.03.024

Needs of exploring the burden of recent onset seizures due to neurocysticercosis and challenges in southeast Asia focusing on scenario in Malaysia

Asian Pac J Trop Med. 2017 Apr;10(4):332-340. doi: 10.1016/j.apjtm.2017.03.024. Epub 2017 Apr 7.

Authors

Priyadarshi S Sahu¹, Yvonne A L Lim², Rohela Mahmud², Sushela D Somanath³, Chong T Tan⁴, C P Ramachandran⁵

Affiliations

¹ Division of Pathology, School of Medicine, International Medical University, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: priyadarshi_sahu@yahoo.com.
² Department of Parasitology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
³ Division of Pathology, School of Medicine, International Medical University, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
⁴ Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
⁵ Programme Review Group, Neglected Tropical Diseases-WHO-Western Pacific Region, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

PMID: 28552103
DOI: 10.1016/j.apjtm.2017.03.024

Abstract

Seizures due to neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a neglected human-to-human transmitted disorder and an emerging problem worldwide. A substantial portion of recent onset seizures is known to be attributed to NCC in Taenia solium (T. solium) endemic areas where populations which neither raise pigs nor eat pig meat are also at risk. High prevalence of NCC causing epilepsy has been reported in the underdeveloped areas of Southeast Asia (SEA) however, only fragmentary information on its incidence is available in countries like Malaysia. In Malaysia T. solium infection was previously thought to be infrequent due to Muslim population majority and the religious prohibition of consuming pork, but it is not totally absent. There is an evident lack of knowledge and awareness of the actual burden, routes of transmission, and the impact of NCC in this region. The problem is assumed to be more prevalent particularly in cities because of the frequent inflow of possibly T. solium infected individuals or carriers among those who migrate from neighboring endemic countries to Malaysia. The issue of imported cases that are likely to be emerging in Malaysia is highlighted here. An accurate quantification of regional burdens of epilepsy due to NCC in Malaysia is warranted considering the disease emergence in its neighboring countries. It is suggested that the importance of NCC be recognized through quantification of its burden, and also to collect epidemiological data for its subsequent elimination in line of World Health Organization's mission for control of cysticercosis as a neglected tropical disease. In this review the need as well as a strategy for neuro-care center screening of epilepsy cases, and various issues with possible explanations are discussed. It is also proposed that NCC be declared as a reportable disease which is one of the eradicable public health problems in SEA.

Keywords: Cysticercosis; NTD; Neurocysticercosis; Recent onset seizure; Seizure; Southeast Asia.

Publication types

Review