Adventure Doc Taenia

keeping you healthy for life's adventures

Erik McLaughlin MD, MPH

Taenia Saginata is associated with undercooked beef and Taenia Solium is associated with undercooked pork. The eggs may be found anywhere in the body and
can cause seizures if in brain tissue (neurocysticercosis).

Worldwide, prevalent in areas where undercooked beef or pork are eaten

Transmission/ Incubation:

Acquired by the ingestion of undercooked beef or pork meat that is infected with the larval stage of either species. The patient may be a symptomatic for years before diagnosis.

Adequately cooking beef and pork, education about fecal contamination of soil, water, livestock pens

Demonstration of eggs or proglottids in fecal smear. The eggs of both species are indistinguishable, only proglottids are different.

Praziquantel is considered first-line and albendazole may be used for neurocysticercosis. Consider steroids for cerebral edema in neurologically symptomatic patient, especially during treatment, as the larvae die.

Taenia Saginata Proglottid

T. Saginata has 15-20 branches per side.

Eggs from both species are indistinguishable

T. Solium has only 7-13 branches per side.

Taenia Saginata Scolex with no Hooks

Taenia SoliumI Scolex with Hooks

These two different species have different host animals but cause similar conditions in humans. Tapeworms care acquired from eating raw or partially cooked beef or pork. The animal must be infected with the tapeworm to give it to humans. The humans eat the pork or beef flesh that has larvae (baby tapeworms) inside. Cooking normally kills these larvae, but if the beef or pork has not been heated to an appropriate temperature, the larvae can survive. Once in the stomach and intestine, the worms begin to grow to adulthood. The usual symptoms include upset stomach and diarrhea. The tail of the worm may protrude from the anus of the infected person. Cysticercosis is also caused by these tapeworms, but does not effect the GI (stomach and intestines) tract. Instead, the larvae (baby tapeworms) burrow around the tissue of the body and become dormant (go to sleep). One laying there, the body puts a protective casing around the worm to try and keep it from spreading. These little larvae can cause effects like tumors, especially in the brain. Siezures are common if the larvae invade the brain. The eggs are only infective to cattle or pigs.