Pathogens and global health
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Community-based control of Aedes aegypti by adoption of eco-health methods in Chennai City, India.
Dengue is highly endemic in Chennai city, South India, in spite of continuous vector control efforts. This intervention study was aimed at establishing the efficacy as well as the favouring and limiting factors relating to a community-based environmental intervention package to control the dengue vector Aedes aegypti. ⋯ A community-based approach together with other stakeholders that promoted interventions to prevent dengue vector breeding led to a substantial reduction in dengue vector density.
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Neurocysticercosis has been recognized as a major cause of secondary epilepsy worldwide. So far, most of the knowledge about the disease comes from Latin America and the Indian subcontinent. Unfortunately, in sub-Saharan Africa the condition was neglected for a long time, mainly owing to the lack of appropriate diagnostic tools. This review therefore focuses on the prevalence of neurocysticercosis in sub-Saharan Africa, the clinical picture with emphasis on epilepsy, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of neurocysticercosis and its related epilepsy/epileptic seizures in African resource-poor settings.
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A 2-year-old boy presented with seizures and two parenchymal brain ring-enhancing lesions. Diagnosis of neurocysticercosis was confirmed by positive serology and response to albendazole therapy. ⋯ Household contacts should always be investigated in children with neurocysticercosis. Proper identification and treatment of Taenia solium carriers will reduce the risk of further spread of the disease.