Characterization of the Environmental Risk of Cysticercosis Induced Epilepsy in the City of Abidjan

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify areas at risk of infestation by Taenia solium larva in the Abidjan agglomeration. For this purpose, environmental data were collected within the residence areas of patients enrolled during a study on cysticercosis conducted among patients attending hospitals for epilepsy. The methodological approach was based on the construction of a composite index based on both environmental and anthropogenic data collected in the living environment of these epileptic patients. Based on a spatial grid of 1,164 tiles of 500 m side, presence or absence of an environmental element at risk (wild discharge of garbage, stagnant water, clogged gutters, wastewater spillways in the streets) or anthropogenic one (pigsty, pigmeat salep) was respectively noted as one (1) zero (0). Therefore, for each tile the sum of the items accounted in the tile was used as composite index. Then, the values of these indices were spatialized in order to determine the environmental risk of each area of residence. The results show that only 20% of the area of the the study’s territory is subject to an environmental and anthropogenic risk of infestation by the larva of Tænia solium. Indeed, areas of low and medium levels of risk were found as the most extensively contaminated. However, areas covered by high or very high risk represent only 2.28% and 0.59% of the living space of epileptic patients respectively. In conclusion, one fifth of the total area of residence is impacted by a relatively moderate level of environmental risk.