The prevalence and spatial epidemiology of cysticercosis in slaughtered cattle from Brazil

Bovine cysticercosis is a disease that is endemic in several countries with an important zoonotic potential but with an increasing public health concern. The meat inspection at slaughterhouses is fundamental to establish the prevalence and prevention of zoonotic diseases, such as cysticercosis. However, in Brazil, there is no study investigating the dynamics of cysticercosis in slaughtered cattle from the entire country. Thus, the aim was to use Geographic Information System (GIS) as a tool to analyze the prevalence of bovine cysticercosis in slaughtered cattle, by using the data from slaughterhouses inspected by the Federal Inspection Service of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (SIF/MAPA), during January/2007 to April/2010. Data from slaughtered cattle was used to generate a bovine cysticercosis database for all states and municipalities of Brazil, in order to analyze and create epidemiological maps using the GIS software. During the period analyzed, 75.983.590 cattle were slaughtered and the prevalence of bovine cysticercosis in Brazil was 1.05%, with the Southeast region presenting the majority of cases. The highest amount of bovine cysticercosis cases occurred in the state of Sao Paulo (400,834) followed by Mato Grosso do Sul (151,735), and Parana (94,046), while there was no observation of occurrence in nine states. The data provided by slaughterhouses inspected by The SIF/MAPA can be used as an informative source for animal and public health agencies for the prevention of the taeniasis/cysticercosis complex. This study elucidates the importance of meat inspection associated with epidemiological maps, targeting the disease control in livestock and the active surveillance for potential zoonotic human infection. Data from this study suggest bovine cysticercosis is endemic in several Brazilian states, and the risk of infection is directly related with the principal areas of commercial cattle rearing, irrespective of the demographics of the human population.