Deaths / year
3,000
GBD (indicative unless refreshed)
DALYs / year
2,800,000
GBD
Pathogen
Helminth
Post-infectious
Chronic disease
Persistent symptoms
~30% of epilepsy
epilepsy cases in endemic areas
Post-infectious syndrome & persistent symptoms
Whether a post-acute infection syndrome is documented and the literature proportion with persistent symptoms.
Documented post-infectious syndrome
Neurocysticercosis -> chronic epilepsy
~30% of epilepsy
persistent symptoms — of epilepsy cases in endemic areas
Summary
Neurocysticercosis accounts for ~30% of epilepsy cases in endemic regions; a leading cause of acquired epilepsy worldwide.
Timeframe
chronic (years)
Evidence strength
strong
Classification
Chronic disease
Sources: Garcia 2020 NEJM; WHO taeniasis/cysticercosis
Therapeutic agents by stage
Vector control, prevention, acute treatment, and post-infectious care. Only agents with published evidence are shown by default.
Vector & transmission control
| Agent | Type | Status | Mechanism / role | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taenia solium control (pig management, sanitation) | Vector control | Approved | Break pig–human transmission cycle | WHO |
Acute phase
| Agent | Type | Status | Mechanism / role | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albendazole | Anthelmintic | Approved | Cysticidal for parenchymal neurocysticercosis | WHO EML / standard of care |
| Praziquantel | Anthelmintic | Approved | Alternative cysticidal (with caution) | WHO EML / standard of care |
Post-infectious phase
| Agent | Type | Status | Mechanism / role | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antiepileptic drugs (e.g. carbamazepine) | Anticonvulsant | Approved | Seizure control in neurocysticercosis-related epilepsy | WHO EML / standard of care |
Associated drug targets (Open Targets): NR3C1, AGTPBP1, TP53BP2, PSAP, CACNA1A, RELN
Burden: IHME GBD (indicative seed unless refreshed) · Therapeutics: curated WHO EML / SOC + Open Targets pipeline · Post-infectious data: curated peer-reviewed literature · Ontology: MONDO_0015484 · Updated 2026-07-10. Associations, not a diagnostic test.