TY - JOUR AU - O’Neal, Seth AU - Flecker, Robert T1 - Hospitalization Frequency and Charges for Neurocysticercosis, United States, 2003–2012 T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2015 VL - 21 IS - 6 SP - 969 SN - 1080-6059 AB - Neurocysticercosis, brain infection with Taenia solium larval cysts, causes substantial neurologic illness around the world. To assess the effect of neurocysticercosis in the United States, we reviewed hospitalization discharge data in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample for 2003–2012 and found an estimated 18,584 hospitalizations for neurocysticercosis and associated hospital charges totaling >US $908 million. The risk for hospitalization was highest among Hispanics (2.5/100,000 population), a rate 35 times higher than that for the non-Hispanic white population. Nearly three-quarters of all hospitalized patients with neurocysticercosis were Hispanic. Male sex and age 20–44 years also incurred increased risk. In addition, hospitalizations and associated charges related to cysticercosis far exceeded those for malaria and were greater than for those for all other neglected tropical diseases combined. Neurocysticercosis is an increasing public health concern in the United States, especially among Hispanics, and costs the US health care system a substantial amount of money. KW - Neurocysticercosis KW - cysticercosis KW - neglected tropical disease KW - economic burden KW - Taenia solium KW - epilepsy KW - brain disease KW - parasitic disease KW - helminthiasis KW - cestode infection KW - central nervous system diseases KW - parasites KW - United States DO - 10.3201/eid2106.141324 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/21/6/14-1324_article ER - End of Reference