Taeniasis - Causes, Mode of Transmission, Symptoms, and Treatment

Taeniasis - Cysticercosis

Taeniasis is a parasitic infection in humans caused by the tapeworm  (cestodes) species; Taenia saginata (beef tapeworm), Taenia solium (pork tapeworm). Humans become infected with tapeworms by ingesting  raw or undercooked of beef (Taenia saginata) or pork (Taenia solium).

Taeniasis is an intestinal parasitic infection caused by eating contaminated beef or pork.

1. Taenia Saginata  - Beef tapewarm ;Cow

2. Taenia Solium -  Pork tapeworm ; Pig

3. Taenia Asiatica - Pork tapeworm ; Pig

 

The source of reservoir for tapeworm Taenia Saginata  is cow and Pigs for Taenia solium and Taenia Asiatica .

The primary risk factor for acquiring taeniasis is eating raw or undercooked of beef or pork .

Tapeworm infections Taenia solium can lead to cysticercosis (larval cysts of the tapeworm Taenia solium), can cause seizures, and muscle or eye damage or infect brain in human  

Eating contaminated food; raw or undercooked of beef or pork  contain tapeworm eggs or larvae that develop in intestines. The tapeworm can turn up to 12 feet in length. When tapeworm larvae are in human stool, infection spread through contact with the stool. 

Epidemiological Triad

Agent - The causative agent of Taeniasis is the tapeworm species - Taenia saginata (beef tapeworm), Taenia solium (pork tapeworm).

 

Host  - Infected all age group by ingesting Taeniasis tapeworm by with raw or under cooked meat of infected animals.

 

Environment - Poor hygiene, consuming raw or under cooked meat of infected animals, Infected human feces.

 

 

Causes of Taeniasis Infection

 

 Taeniasis is an tapeworm infection, a type of parasite.

 

1. Humans infected with tapewarms infection when eating raw or undercooked beef or pork containing infective parasite's larval cysts,  cysticerci.  

Humans can also infected with taenia solium eggs via the fecal-oral route due to poor hygiene or ingesting contaminated food or water.

2. Once taenia cysticerci get inside humans, taenia cysticerci locate to the small intestine and mature to adult tapeworms, which produce segments and eggs that are passed in feces.

4. Infected humans defecate in open area, the tapeworm segments and/or eggs in their feces and contaminate the soil areas. 

 5. Eggs of  Taenia tapeworm can survive in a moist environment and remain infective for days to months.

6.  When cow, pig feeding in areas,  get infected after or come in contact with Taenia egg located in faeces of infected humans.

 

7. Taenia eggs get inside the cow or pig,  taenia eggs hatch in the animal’s intestine and travel to striated muscle to develop into cysticerci, that causing cysticercosis disease. Cysticerci is the young tapeworms (larvae) can live for several years in animal muscle.

8. Cysticercosis occur when Taenia solium tapeworm eggs are ingested. It is larval cysts (enclosed sacs containing immature stage of a parasite) of the pork tapeworm (Taenia solium).

 

Diagnostic Test

1. Complete blood count (CBC)

2. Stool exam

2. Immunelogical test- to detect the presence of cysticerci

3. MRI and CT scan- to detect cysticerci (larvae) in various organ

 

 

Clinical Manifestation

 

People infected with adult taenia, visible symptom of taeniasis can observe proglottids (tapeworm segments) of tape warm in their feces

In rare cases, tapeworm segments can enter in the appendix, or the bile and pancreatic ducts.

 

Signs and symptoms of Taeniasis include-

 

1. Nausea

2. G.I upset

3. Diarrhoea/constipation

4. Chronic indigestion

6. Abdominal pain,

7. Loss of appetite, weight loss

8. Nausea and Vomiting

9. Cysticercosis - cause seizures, infect brain and muscle or eye damage

10. Neurocysticercosis – cause vision changes, seizure, headache, nausea and vomiting

 

 

Treatment of Taeniasis

 

Taenaisis can be treated with antihelmintics medicine - Praziquantel or Niclosamide or Albendazole. These medicine  kill the  parasitic worms and their eggs.

.

Drug of choice - Niclosamide is the drug of choice for treatment of Taenia saginata and Taenia solium (pork tapeworm) infection.

 

Complications of Taeniasis

 

In rare cases, severe complications from the Taeniasis infection can occur. Tapeworms can block intestines tract, require surgery to clear the block .

Pork tapeworm may migrate to other parts of your body such as -  heart, eye, or brain cause seizures or serious  infections in the nervous system.

 

 

Prevention and Control

 

1. Cook meat clearly because egg hatched in small intestine can migrate in various tissues of body and form cysts..

2. Freeze the meat for 4 days at -5 degree Celsius and -15 degree Celsius for 3 days or -24 degree Celsius for one day to kills the larva.

3. Frequent hand washing with soap to avoid ingesting eggs and developing cysticerci in brain.

4. Proper disposal of faeces to avoid contamination of food, soil and water.

5. Preventing the cattle grazing in soil contaminated area.

 

 

Taeniasis FAQs

 

1. What is taeniasis?

Taeniasis is a parasitic infection caused by Taenia saginata (beef tapeworm), Taenia solium (pork tapeworm), and Taenia asiatica (Asian tapeworm). Humans become infected by consuming  raw or undercooked beef (T. saginata) or pork (T. solium and T. asiatica).

 

2. What are the signs and symptoms of taeniasis?

Symptoms of taeniasis are abdomen pain and irritation, unexplained weight loss, blockage of the intestine, digestive problems, nausea and vomiting.

3. Which medication uesd to treat taeniasis?

Praziquantel or Niclosamide or Albendazole drug used to treat taeniasis. Praziquantel is the choice of drug for taeniasis infection.

 

4. How did I get taeniasis?

By consuming the raw or undercooked contaminated beef or pork is the primary risk factor for acquiring taeniasis.

 

5. How can I prevent infection with taeniasis?

One way to prevent taeniasis is to eating fully cook meat and maintain hygiene.

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