Taenia solium is a parasite causing porcine cysticercosis and human taeniosis and cysticercosis, parasitic zoonoses with a serious public health and economic influence. It has been globally ranked as the top foodborne parasite by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). This parasite is transmitted mainly in countryside regions where animals are free roaming, having access to human faeces, and infected pork is widely available. More developed countries eliminated cysticercosis; nonetheless, there are insufficient data about the current endemicity status of T. solium, due to increased human migration from endemic areas. Formally submitted statistics on cysticercosis in pigs are extremely inadequate. This is the result of not reporting all cases of the disease by some countries and lack of molecular verification during identification of the parasite. There is a need to develop diagnostic tests with increased sensitivity and specificity. The purpose of the present review is to summarise current knowledge about diagnostic and control methods concerning T. solium infection. The article does not address the diagnostics of human cysticercosis, since there is a distinct medical field which should be discussed separately. The paper focuses mainly on identifying the sources of T. solium infection, presenting the methods to detect and control porcine cysticercosis and taeniosis in humans.

OBJECTIVE To compare regional proportions and spatial distributions of volumetric bone mineral density (BMDv) of the palmar aspect of the distal epiphysis of the third metacarpal bone (McIII) in limbs with or without a condylar fracture from Thoroughbred racehorses. SAMPLE McIIIs from cadavers of Thoroughbred racehorses with (n = 6 bones) and without (8) a condylar fracture. PROCEDURES BMDv and spatial distributions of BMDv in peripheral quantitative CT images of the distal epiphysis of McIIIs were quantitatively assessed with spatial analysis software. Relative proportions of voxels within 9 threshold categories of BMDv and spatial statistics for BMDv distribution were compared between fractured and nonfractured limbs. RESULTS No significant differences in BMDv characteristics were identified between fractured and nonfractured limbs, although fractured limbs had a lower proportion of voxels in the BMDv thresholds 700 to < 800 mg/cm3 and 800 to < 900 mg/cm3 but a higher proportion of voxels in the BMDv threshold 1,000 to < 1,100 mg/cm3 for the central condylar region of the medial condyle. Results of spatial analysis reflected the response of bone to race training rather than differences between fractured and nonfractured limbs. In both limb groups, uniform clusters of low BMDv with areas of high BMDv were identified. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE BMDv characteristics of the distal epiphysis of McIII reflected training load, and fracture characteristics were subtle. Serial imaging techniques in conjunction with detailed training data are required to elucidate the onset of the pathological response to load in horses.

The purpose of this study is to assess the suitability of the statistical techniques employed in papers published in the Korean Journal of Veterinary Research from March 1997 to March 1999 and it is hoped that the critical assessment may be of help to other researchers preparing their works for publication. Of the 246 original papers 94 were inclluded in the analysis. of 62 papers with the measure of central location and dispersion of data 34(54.8%) used them correctly:9 (39.1%) of 23 for t-test; 1 (33.3%) of 3 for correlation analysis; 7 (43.8%) of 16 for analysis of variance (ANOVA); 5 (62.5%) of 8 for chi-square test; 44 (71%) of 62 for description of p-value. A number of papers employed ANOVA did not perform subsequent analysis of multiple comparison. Compared to the results of others, relatively higher proportion of papers in the present study was evaluated as appropriate analysis. The reason is that papers described insufficiently on the study design were not included, and evaluation items were restricted to the cases violated seriously ingerent assumptions for each statistical technique. Statistical misuse or abuse appeared in the study is due to lack of knowledge on statistics and short of its importance for improvement the quality of paper. Because an inappropriate analysis can lead the readers to misunderatand on findings, observed statistical analyses must be valid,and correctly undertaken. It is suggested that more intensive statistical refereeing are needed,and the communication should be allowed for the controversial points.