Neurocysticercosis

Neurocysticercosis is the most prevalent parasitic disease that affects the nervous system and the most common cause of epilepsy in the world. The causative parasite is actually the larva (Cysticercus cellulosae) of the pork tapeworm Taenia solium. Although found worldwide, cysticercosis has particularly high prevalence rates in areas with poor sanitation and where human fecal material is used for fertilizer. It is most common in Central and South America, Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Sub-Saharan Africa, and East Asia-including India, Indonesia, and China. In the United States, it is mainly a disease of immigrants; however, because of the increase in travel to endemic areas, the incidence has increased, primarily in the southwestern states, California, and Chicago.