{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,23]],"date-time":"2026-02-23T20:08:08Z","timestamp":1771877288441,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":58,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,12,18]],"date-time":"2020-12-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1608249600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Porcine cysticercosis and associated human infections are endemic in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Poor agricultural practices, sanitary practices, and lack of knowledge increase the burden of the diseases in susceptible populations. This study investigates the seroprevalence of <jats:italic>Taenia<\/jats:italic> spp. in township pigs in Gauteng, South Africa and describes knowledge and farming practices of pig farmers regarding <jats:italic>T<\/jats:italic>. <jats:italic>solium<\/jats:italic> infections. Blood samples were collected from 126 pigs in three Gauteng township areas, and analyzed for active <jats:italic>Taenia<\/jats:italic> spp. infection using the B158\/B60 Ag-ELISA. Farmer questionnaire surveys were conducted in four township areas to investigate the level of knowledge and practices associated with porcine cysticercosis and neurocysticercosis. Logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between predictor variables and the outcome variable, knowledge of porcine cysticercosis or knowledge of neurocysticercosis. Overall, 7% of the pigs were seropositive for active <jats:italic>Taenia<\/jats:italic> spp. infection. 46% of farmers practiced a free-ranging system, while 25% practiced a semi-intensive system. Latrines were absent on all farms; however, 95% of farmers indicated that they have access to latrines at home. Most farmers had no knowledge of porcine cysticercosis (55%) or neurocysticercosis (79%), and this was not associated with any of the factors investigated. The prevalence of active <jats:italic>Taenia<\/jats:italic> spp. infection was reasonably low in this study, yet the knowledge level was also low, thus calling for further educational and training programmes to prevent <jats:italic>Taenia<\/jats:italic> spp. transmission in these communities.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0244055","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,12,18]],"date-time":"2020-12-18T18:49:19Z","timestamp":1608317359000},"page":"e0244055","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":10,"title":["Knowledge, practices and seroprevalence of Taenia species in smallholder farms in Gauteng, South Africa"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0793-8515","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Nothando Altrecia","family":"Shongwe","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5368-6400","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Charles","family":"Byaruhanga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Pierre","family":"Dorny","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Veronique","family":"Dermauw","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Daniel Nenene","family":"Qekwana","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,12,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0244055.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"677","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.1992.46.677","article-title":"Prevalence and risk factors for Taenia solium taeniasis and cysticercosis in humans and pigs in a village in Morelos, Mexico","volume":"46","author":"E Sarti","year":"1992","journal-title":"Am J Trop Med Hyg"},{"key":"pone.0244055.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"141","DOI":"10.1016\/j.actatropica.2015.12.021","article-title":"The societal cost of Taenia solium cysticercosis in Tanzania","volume":"165","author":"C Trevisan","year":"2017","journal-title":"Acta Trop"},{"key":"pone.0244055.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"906","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-3156.2006.01627.x","article-title":"Estimation of the cost of Taenia solium cysticercosis in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa","volume":"11","author":"H Carabin","year":"2006","journal-title":"Trop Med Int Heal"},{"key":"pone.0244055.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"97","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetpar.2016.06.034","article-title":"A systematic review on the global occurrence of Taenia hydatigena in pigs and cattle","volume":"226","author":"MTT Nguyen","year":"2016","journal-title":"Vet Parasitol"},{"key":"pone.0244055.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1183","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijpara.2010.05.001","article-title":"Eradication of Taenia solium cysticercosis: A role for vaccination of pigs","volume":"40","author":"MW Lightowlers","year":"2010","journal-title":"Int J Parasitol"},{"key":"pone.0244055.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"547","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(03)14117-7","article-title":"Taenia solium cysticercosis","volume":"362","author":"HH Garc\u00eda","year":"2003","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"pone.0244055.ref007","unstructured":"WHO\/FAO\/OIE. 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