Neurocysticercosis among patients with first time seizure in Northern Namibia.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Neurocysticercosis is a common cause of seizures in low resource countries. There is a paucity of data regarding the extent of this infection in Namibia. There are multiple causes of First-time seizure including electrolyte abnormalities, infections, trauma, drugs, alcohol and many times no apparent cause can be found. We sought to describe the burden of Neurocysticercosis among individuals with a first-time seizure in Namibia.

METHODS:

We recruited 221 patients with a First-time seizure who presented to the Intermediate Hospital Oshakati between August 2012 and March 2014. Patients with seizures due to identifiable causes like trauma, electrolytes, intoxications and meningitis were excluded. Brain CT scans were done, blood serological testing of Neurocysticercosis antibodies, Physical examination and demographic variables were collected. Data was entered into Epidata version 3.1 and transferred to stata version for analysis.

RESULTS:

Ninety-six (96) of the participants had evidence of Neurocysticercosis on Brain CT scan representing a prevalence of 51.41%. Consumption of pork and rearing of pigs in the homestead were significant factors associated with Neurocysticercosis in our study population with odds of 3.48(1.45-8.33) and 2.07(1.11-3.86) respectively. Serological testing for Cyticercosis IgG had a sensitivity of 65.93% and Specificity of 96.51%. The positive and negative predictive values were 95.2% and 72.81% respectively.

CONCLUSION:

Neurocysticercosis is a common cause of Index seizures in Northern Namibia, living in a rural area, rearing pigs in homesteads, eating pork and poor sanitary practices are the major risk factors for this illness.

• Authors: Innocent Lule Segamwenge, Ngalyuka Paul Kioko, Celia Mukulu, Ogunsina Jacob, Wanzira Humphrey, Josephine Augustinus
• Journal: The Pan African medical journal (Pan Afr Med J) Vol. 24 Pg. 127 ( 2016) ISSN: 1937-8688 [Electronic] Uganda
• PMID: 27642465 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Animal Husbandry
• Animals
• Brain (diagnostic imaging, parasitology)
• Child
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Namibia (epidemiology)
• Neurocysticercosis (complications, diagnosis, epidemiology)
• Predictive Value of Tests
• Prevalence
• Red Meat (parasitology)
• Risk Factors
• Rural Population
• Seizures (etiology, parasitology)
• Sensitivity and Specificity
• Serologic Tests
• Swine (parasitology)
• Tomography, X-Ray Computed
• Young Adult