Abstract

NAVA BALDERAS, Gabriela; MARTINEZ VILLALOBOS, Ada Nelly  and  DE ALUJA, Aline S.. Effect of different temperatures (freezing and boiling) in pork on the viability of metacestodes of Taenia solium. Vet. Méx [online]. 2009, vol.40, n.2, pp.191-196. ISSN 0301-5092.

In many rural areas of Mexico, pork infected with Taenia solium is still being consumed, mainly because of the domiciliary slaughter of animals in villages where meat inspection does not exist. It follows that taeniasis cysticercosis continues to be an important health problem both for humans who suffer from taeniasis and neurocysticercosis and for pork producers due to the economic losses involved. In order to recommend a simple and effective method for housekeepers in rural zones to inactivate the metacestodes, infected pork cut in slices of 4 cm thickness was exposed to different temperatures and periods of time. Evagination trials were done and hamsters were infected with the treated larvae. The results show that metacestodes in pieces of pork of 4 cm thickness are innocuous after boiling them for 15 minutes or freezing them at 0° C for 96 hours or for 48 hours at -20° C, but the latter is not feasible in a rural environment. Boiling or freezing at 0° C in a domestic refrigerator is recommended as a simple procedure in marginated areas to avoid the growth of Taenia solium in human beings and thus interrupt the cycle of the parasite.

Keywords : metacestodes; Taenia solium; temperatures; pork.

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