A Case of Cysticercosis on Swine Traditional Husbandry Systems in Northern Provinces of Cambodia

The objectives of this study were to determine prevalence of T. solium cysticercosis in pigs as well as to determine additional occurrence by using commercial ELISA-based test kits and investigate husbandry practices and knowledge of the disease among livestock raisers in the northern provinces of Cambodia, specifically in Preah Vihear and Stung Treng provinces. The study involved 65 families for interviews and 116 pig serum samples collected for porcine cysticercosis using list of questionnaires among pig smallholders. Out of the 116 pigs diagnosed in the laboratory, 16 (13.79 %) were found sero-positive for Taenia antigens by Ag-ELISA, and six sera (5.17%) were suspected to be positive. All of the seropositive samples were from Preah Vihear province. No sero-positive samples were found from Stung Treng province. The questionnaire survey revealed poor pig husbandry practiced by pig farmers in the selected provinces. Seropositivity was associated with the type of pig raising systems (p<0.01), season of pig free rang practices (p<0.01), the environment of pig pen (p<0.05), slaughter for family consumption (p<0.01), possible contact between animal and human toilets (p<0.01), and among of these, ​case of the pigs slaughter at home (OR = 14.21, 95% CI = 3.04–66,20) was a high risk factors associated with cysticercosis infection, followed by the contact between pig and human faces (OR = 8.11, 95% CI = 2.40–27.30), season of free-range (OR = 6.46, 95% CI = 1.39–29.9), raising environment (OR = 2.66, 95% CI = 0.80–8.81) and low risk factors for raising systems (OR = 0.08, 95% CI = 0.02–0.30). However, sex, age, and breed were not found to be significantly associated with infection of porcine cysticercosis. The pig husbandry system, free ranging practices, contacting of animal to human faces, living environment, and kitchen waste feeding practices were found to be contributing to the maintenance and spreading of the parasite, T. solium. Therefore, the study found that porci