Transcript Taenia solium “The Pork Tapeworm” Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Platyhelminthes Class: Cestoda Order: Cyclophyllidea Family: Taeniidae Genus: Taenia By: Christopher Ellis Species: T. solium What’s it do? Taenia solium Taenia solium causes two different diseases… 1.) cysticerosis – muscle.

Taenia solium
“The Pork Tapeworm”
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum:
Platyhelminthes
Class:
Cestoda
Order:
Cyclophyllidea
Family:
Taeniidae
Genus:
Taenia
By: Christopher Ellis
Species:
T. solium
What’s it do?
Taenia solium
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


Tapeworm Larvae enters body and forms…
cysticerci which are 6- 18mm wide by 4 - 6mm 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!

Pig muscle infected with cysticerci
Taenia solium
Affects in the Human - Larva
Affects C.N.S. and brain
 severe pain, paralysis, and
epileptic convulsions
Other Muscle Tissue
 May feel lumps
Asymptomatic
swelling
of the brain
(called hydrocephalus)
loss of consciousness or
even death!

unless
involving ocular tissue,
then…
Great discomfort and
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

Humans are the only definitive host for
T. solium (absolute host specifity).
Taenia solium
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
12mm x 6mm 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.

Occasionally, appendicitis can result
from migrating proglottids.

Very rarely is there perforation of the
intestinal wall, but when it does occur it
is called peritonitis.

25% of cysticercosis infections are
aquired by the autoinfection.

Risk Factors




Taenia solium
50,000 cases reported globally a year!
However it is VERY rare in Islamic countries where there is
little consumption of pork
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.
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
 Cysticercosis - can appear from 10 days to 10 years after
infection.
 Taeniasis - eggs occur in stool 8-12 weeks after infection.
 Stool samples can diagnose both cysticercosis and teniasis but is
not possible during the first 3 months following infection.
Treatment
 Treatment is simple and very effective.
Praziquantel is the drug of choice.
 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