Taenia solium The Pork Tapeworm Kingdom Animalia Phylum

Taenia solium “The Pork Tapeworm” Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Platyhelminthes Class: Cestoda Order: Cyclophyllidea Family: Taeniidae Genus: Taenia Species: By: Christopher Ellis T. solium

What’s it do? Taenia solium causes two different diseases… 1. ) cysticerosis – muscle tissues 2. ) taeniasis – digestive tract • • Develops when adult tapeworm infects human intestine • Eggs cross digestive tract, enter circulation, and lodge in muscle tissues If it’s in the brain it’s neurocysticerosis • 3 -6 feet long • Asymptomatic but continuous source of eggs in the feces

Taenia solium Morphology Larvae n Tapeworm Larvae enters body and forms… n cysticerci which are 6 - 18 mm wide by 4 - 6 mm in length when found in the muscle tissue. However, it may also be found in other tissues such as in the C. N. S. where they may grow up to several cm in diameter! n Pig muscle infected with cysticerci

Taenia solium Affects in the Human - Larva Affects C. N. S. and brain n severe pain, paralysis, and epileptic convulsions Other Muscle Tissue n May feel lumps n. Asymptomatic unless nswelling of the brain (called hydrocephalus) involving ocular tissue, then… n loss of consciousness or n Great discomfort and even death! possible detachment of retina The annual mortality rate is approximately 50, 000 cases worldwide!

Taenia solium Eggs or gravid proglottids are passed through “feces” Life Cycle Pigs become infected by consuming infected eggs or gravid proglottids In the pig’s intestine, the oncosphere hatches The oncosphere invades the intestinal wall and migrates to the striated muscles, where they develop into cysticerci In the human intestine, the cysticercus develops over 2 months into an adult tapeworm, which can survive for years. The tapeworm attaches to the small intestine by their scolex.

Taenia solium Hosts to T. solium n Humans are the only definitive host for T. solium (absolute host specifity).

Taenia solium eggs T. solium eggs

Taenia solium Intermediate Host - Pigs Intermediate Host (Pig) consumes infected eggs T. solium eggs

Taenia solium Definitive Host - Humans Definitive Host (Human) consumes infected pork (Measly) Pork is infected with tapeworm cysticerci Intermediate Host (Pig) consumes infected eggs T. solium eggs

Morphology Adults The gravid proglottids are 12 mm x 6 mm each Taenia solium Rostellum (with roughly 30 hooks) scolex Each proglottid may produce 50, 000 eggs respectively! The strobila consists of between 800 and 1000 proglottids. The adult tapeworms are around 10 feet, but may grow up to 27!

Taenia solium Life Cycle in the Human - Adults However, sometimes there are nonspecific symptoms that form such as constipation or diarrhea. n Occasionally, appendicitis can result from migrating proglottids. n Very rarely is there perforation of the intestinal wall, but when it does occur it is called peritonitis. n 25% of cysticercosis infections are aquired by the autoinfection. n

Risk Factors Taenia solium n 50, 000 cases reported globally a year! n However it is VERY rare in Islamic countries where there is little consumption of pork n Poorer countries or more at risk for these parasites because they are in close contact with pigs and eat undercooked pork more often than developed countries. n Latin American Countries especially are at high risk and experience many cases of pork tapeworms.

Prevention Taenia solium • Try to keep stable, sanitary conditions in impoverished areas. • Ensure that pork is cooked thoroughly before eaten. • Don’t eat poop.

Taenia solium Diagnosis and Treatment Diagnosis n Cysticercosis - can appear from 10 days to 10 years after infection. n Taeniasis - eggs occur in stool 8 -12 weeks after infection. n Stool samples can diagnose both cysticercosis and teniasis but is not possible during the first 3 months following infection. Treatment n Treatment is simple and very effective. Praziquantel is the drug of choice. n Appropriate drug therapy seems to be the only treatment. There is no immunization available at this time.

Taenia solium Pictures Contains hooks (Rostellum) bladderworm or cysticercus of Taenia solium.

Taenia solium More Pictures Taenia solium removed Scolex of Taenia Solium Taenia solium eggs