Introduction: Taenia solium cysticercosis is a zoonosis of both public health and agricultural importance in many lowincome countries. This study aimed at estimating the societal burden of T. solium cysticercosis in Angonia district, Mozambique, an area highly endemic for the disease.
Materials and Methods: Epidemiological data on human and porcine cysticercosis were collected from 2008 to 2009 in Angonia district, and made available for burden assessment. Study subjects were 1723 persons and 661 pigs. Methods included a questionnaire survey, Ag-ELISA detection of human and porcine cysticercosis and human brain computer tomography. All data were compiled in the software for statistical analysis ‘R’. To estimate the DALYs lost due to neurocysticercosis – associated epilepsy and headache a DALY calculator was used. To estimate the total costs a cost analysis model was used.
Results: Approximately 5% and 0.8% of the total population of Angonia district was estimated to suffer from NCC-associated epilepsy and headache, respectively. Around two thirds of the diseased population never received any treatment. The estimates were based on reported prevalence of epilepsy and headache of 15.6% and 30.9%, respectively. Among people with reported epilepsy, 42.5% had NCC. The number of pigs diagnosed with cysticercosis corresponded to 35% of the total pig population. The estimated average number of DALYs lost due to NCC associated epilepsy and headache was 12.1 per thousand persons per year. The total annual costs due to T. solium cysticercosis
were estimated at 1.3 million Euro of which 87% were costs linked to human cysticercosis and 13% were due to pig production losses. The annual monetary burden per case of NCC-associated epilepsy amounted at 51.0 Euro.
Conclusions: Twelve DALYs per thousand persons per year and a cost of more than one million Euro per year makes T. solium cysticercosis a serious public health and agricultural threat for Angonia district.