Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Prevalence of Taenia solium Infections Across India
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Background
Taenia solium taeniasis and cysticercosis continue to pose significant public health and veterinary challenges in endemic regions like India. Despite sporadic reports, a comprehensive understanding of the national burden has been lacking. This systematic review and metaanalysis aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of T. solium infection in humans and pigs across India and assess regional, demographic, and methodological variations.
Methods
A systematic search of six international databases (PubMed, Scopus, Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Google Scholar) and national repositories (Shodhganga, Krishikosh, CeRA) was conducted for studies published between 1950 and December 2021. Studies reporting prevalence of human or porcine taeniasis and/or cysticercosis in India were included. Data were extracted from 67 eligible studies (45 human, 22 porcine) and analyzed using random effects models to account for heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses examined variations by zone, setting, gender, and diagnostic modality.
Results
The pooled prevalence of T. solium infection in humans was 5.21% (95% CI: 5.00–5.43%), based on data from 41,481 individuals. Prevalence varied significantly across regions, with the highest in the North-East Zone (12.00%) and South Zone (8.08%). Hospital-based studies reported substantially higher prevalence (26.18%) compared to population-based studies (4.64%), likely reflecting diagnostic bias toward symptomatic cases. Cysticercosis prevalence (10.24%) exceeded that of taeniasis (3.69%). Female participants showed higher prevalence (4.26%) than males (3.08%) (p < 0.0001). In pigs, the overall pooled prevalence was 3.27%, with higher burdens observed in the Central and East/North-East zones.
Conclusions
This meta-analysis confirms that T. solium infection remains endemic in India, with marked heterogeneity across zones and study settings. The strong human–porcine epidemiological link highlights the need for a tailored One Health strategy incorporating regional risk factors, public health education, improved diagnostics, and sanitation infrastructure. Enhanced surveillance in high-prevalence zones like the North-East and South is urgently needed to mitigate transmission.
