Cysticercosis are foodborne parasitic zoonoses with significant health, social and economic implications. Cysticercosis refers to a parasitic tissue infection caused by larval cysts of Taenia spp. in humans and animals. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline was used in the search for relevant published articles reporting on cysticercosis in Iran using a number of appropriate key words. The search was conducted through PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, SpringerLink, SCOPUS, WHOLIS, FAO and CDC. Published scientific articles including journals, books and book chapters reporting on cysticercosis in Iran for the period between 1967 and 2018 were selected. A total of 15 articles met the search criteria and were incorporated in this review. Of these, 15 (40.5%) on cysticercosis (10 on Taenia saginata and five on Taenia spp. cysticercosis). T. saginata was implicated in all human taeniosis cases. Taenia saginata infections were most prevalent with a significant number of bovine cysticercosis and human taeniosis cases being reported in different parts of Iran, making it a public health concern. Taeniosis resulting from Taenia spp. was restricted to wild boars, rook and pigs (domesticated and wild) in Iran, making it of little significance to public health in Iran. All Taenia spp. cysticercosis cases were reported among domesticated pigs and wild animals. A case of neurocysticercosis was reported in a male patient at Shohada Hospital in Tehran. Nevertheless, most of these studies were carried out in northern Iran. The Islamic religious laws, which strictly forbid consumption of pork among Muslims, could be the reason for the near absence of human taeniosis resulting from T. solium and human trichinellosis in Iran. This review found T. saginata to be the most prevalent and of greater economic and public health significance in Iran. However, T. solium were of little significance to human health. More studies should focus on other regions besides northern Iran.

Keywords: Cysticercosis, Foodborne zoonoses