Review on the Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Parasitic Zoonosis in Ethiopia: Taeniasis

Parasitic foodborne infections of humans may involve both protozoan and helminth species of internal parasites. The route of infection is normally consumption of the parasite’s natural hosts as a human food item. Taeniasis is a parasitic zoonotic disease caused by the adult stage of large tapeworms that live in the intestines of human hosts. Bovine cysticercosis is a food borne disease caused by Taenia saginata with humans as the final host and cattle as the intermediate host. Infection of human by Taenia saginata occurs through ingestion of raw or undercooked meat containing Cysticercus Bovis while; infection of cattle with Cysticercus Bovis occurs through ingestion of Taenia saginata eggs. The parasite population of these species consists of three distinct sub populations: adult Tapeworms in the definitive host (man), larvae (Cysticercus or metacestodes) in the intermediate host (pigs or cattle), and eggs in the environment. The most common causative agent in Ethiopia is the beef tapeworm, Taenia saginata, which has the cow as its intermediate host. The other tapeworm that can cause taeniasis (Taenia solium) has pigs as its intermediate host, but they are not so common in Ethiopia. Taeniasis due to beef tapeworm is highly prevalent in Ethiopia due to the widespread habit of eating raw beef (kitfo in Amharic, Figure 38.5) and poor sanitary conditions. Defaecation in open fields in grazing lands, disposal of raw human sewage in rivers and its use as a fertiliser, facilitate the spread of taeniasis. The highest cases of taeniasis are found in the towns of Northern and Eastern Ethiopia.