Recombinant Polypeptides for Clinical Detection of Taenia solium and Diagnosis of Cysticercosis

CDC scientists have developed synthetic/recombinant polypeptides that can be used for the creation of inexpensive, high-quality cysticercosis diagnostic assays. Taenia solium is a species of pathogenic tapeworm. Intestinal infection with this parasite is referred to as taeniasis and it is acquired by ingestion of T. solium cysticerci found in raw and undercooked pork, or food contaminated with human or porcine excrement. Many infections are asymptomatic, but infection may be characterized by insomnia, anorexia, abdominal pain and weight loss. Cysticercosis is the formation of cysticerci in various body tissues resulting from the migration of the T. solium larvae out of the intestine. Although infection with T. solium is itself not dangerous, cysticercosis can be fatal. In the present invention, specific antigen encoding nucleotide sequences have been cloned; assays based on the produced antigens may be useful for improvements over the existing Western blot diagnostic method for identifying individuals with cysticercosis. Additionally, these polypeptides may have applications in developing vaccines and therapeutics to prevent taeniasis.