INFLUENCE OF ALTITUDE ON THE PREVALENCE OF CYSTICERCOSIS IN THE BIOGEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS OF ECUADOR. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

Cysticercosis, a zoonotic disease, is a public health problem in endemic regions of Latin America, Asia and Africa. In Ecuador it is considered hyperendemic, mainly in rural areas. The inadequate sanitary conditions of poverty and pigs roaming freely in the wild produce cysticercosis and neurocysticercosis, constituting the main cause of preventable epilepsy in endemic countries. A systematic review was carried out, identifying 180 articles in the databases consulted, 80 were duplicates; Of 100, 70 were excluded, selecting 20 that met the inclusion criteria. In the Sierra region (400-4900 m a.s.l.), the provinces of Imbabura and Pichincha (4.99%) and Loja (2.25%) presented a higher prevalence of cysticercosis. On the Coast (0-350 m a.s.l.), prevalence was observed in the provinces of El Oro (2.4%) and Manabí (2.12%), Los Ríos (0.7%) and Guayas (0.3%). There was a lower prevalence in the Amazon region (150-2100 m a.s.l.), between 0.18% and 0.51% in the Zamora Chinchipe and Morona Santiago provinces, respectively. For the Insular or Galapagos region (375-1770 m a.s.l.) no data were reported. Altitude is not a factor that influences the prevalence of cysticercosis infection in the different biogeographic regions of Ecuador.