Geo-helminthiasis among migrants in Sicily: a possible focus for re-emerging neurocysticercosis in Europe

A dramatic increasing immigration flow was recorded in Europe during the last years. Only in Sicily 120,239 people arrived in 2014. Immigrants may carry neglected tropical diseases endemic in their origin countries. The aim of our study was to evaluate the frequency of geo-helminthiasis, and in particular of intestinal taeniasis, in a sample of migrants hosted in a large asylum seeker centre in the province of Catania. A stool sample was obtained from all the enrolled subjects and a coproparasitological examination was performed. Out of the 274 enrolled subjects (249 men; mean age 26.4 ± 6.2), 30 (11%) carried at least one helminthic infestation. Ancylostomatidae, Trichuris trichiura and Taenia species (spp) were the most common, the latter found in 6 (2.16%) subjects. T. solium carriers can represent a focus of infection for the more complex neurocysticercosis. Even if coproparasitological examination did not allow us to differentiate Taenia spp, we cannot exclude the presence of T. solium carriers among these subjects. Further studies, including coproantigen ELISA to detect Taenia spp, should be carried out in larger samples to better estimate the real burden of T. solium carriers.