TAENIA SOLIUM

 Introduction
 Morphology
 Epidemiology
 Life cycles
 Pathology
 Clinical features
 Laboratory diagnosis
 Treatment
 Prevention and Control
 INTRODUCTION
• Taenia solium belongs to Platyhelminthes
• A cyclophyllidean cestode (tapeworm)-intestinal and tissue tapeworm
• Also called pork tapeworm /armed tape worm of man
• Affects both humans and pigs. Humans>normal definitive host, Pigs>intermediate hosts
• Cause intestinal taeniasis(by adult form) and cysticercosis(by T.solium larvae)

EPIDEMIOLOGY
 Occur worldwide especially in pig-raising regions, where humans live in close contact with pigs and eat undercooked pork.
 Cysticercosis mainly affect low and middle income countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
 Neurocysticercosis (NCC )is considered as the most common parasitic CNS infection of man and the most common cause of
adult onset epilepsy.
 Reported less from Muslim countries.
MORPHOLOGY
Egg: Spherical /round; Brown; non- acid fast
• Size: 30-35 µm in diameter.
• Surrounded by a thick-walled striated embryophore
• Contains a hexacanth (six-hooked) embryo (oncosphere) Adult
• Approximately 40000 eggs per gravid proglottid
• Are infective
egg
Larvae-( cysticercus ): Develops from a 6-hooked embryo (oncosphere) hatched from an egg.
• It has: -A pea-sized fluid-filled bladder
-Invaginated scolex
• Takes 3 months to become an adult worm
• Cysticercus cellulosae–infective to man causing taeniasis
Adult: Size:2-4m. Adult worm has the following:
1. Scolex
• . Four suckers
• . A circle and a double row of hooks cysticercus

2. Gravid proglottids:
• 5 to 10 primary uterine branches
• The gravid terminal proglottids contain many eggs
• 800-1000segments
LIFE CYCLE OF T.SOLIUM
Life cycle of T. solium depends on the disease it causes.
HUMAN CYCLE
Taeniasis:
This occurs when humans are infected by eating raw or undercooked pork containing the larvae.
In the small intestine larvae attach to the gut wall, grows into an adult worm in 3 months, measuring up to 5m. The gravid
terminal proglottids, detach daily. These are passed in feces, eaten by pigs.
PIGS CYCLE:
Pigs are infected by worm eggs ,therefore, it is the larvae that are found in pigs .6-hooked embryo emerges from each egg in
the pig’s intestine . The embryos burrow into a blood vessel , Carried to skeletal muscles , Develops into cysticerci ,Remains
there until eaten by a human. Pigs do not have adult worms in their intestine .
Cysticercosis:
Person ingests the worm eggs, eggs hatch in the small intestine, oncospheres burrow through the wall into a blood vessel ,
Disseminate many organs, especially the eyes, skin, and brain, where they encyst from cysticerci .Each cysticercus contains a
larva N/B In cysticercosis, humans are infected by eggs excreted in human feces, not by ingesting undercooked pork.
Mode of transmission:
Firstly man acquire the infection by—(1) ingestion of contaminated food or water with eggs of T. solium and (2)
autoinfection. Autoinfection can be of two types: a) external autoinfection: Due to unhygienic personal habit leading to
ingestion via fecal-oral route b)Internal autoinfection: Due to reverse peristaltic movements by which the gravid segments
throw the eggs back into the stomach (equivalent to swallowing of the eggs)
PATHOGENESIS
• The tapeworm attaches to the intestinal wall
• Causes little damage
• Cysticerci become very large(especially in brain),and manifest as space-occupying lesions
• Live cysticerci do not cause inflammation
• Dead ones release substances to provoke inflammation
• Eventually, the cysticerci calcify
CLINICAL FEATURES
Taeniasis is mostly asymptomatic
Anorexia , Abdominal pain, Diarrhea , Proglottids in stool , Lethargy may occur.
Neurocysticercosis: Headache, confusion, vomiting, and seizures
-Most common cause of adult-onset epilepsy throughout the world
-Can be parenchymal(brain) or extraparenchymal(meninges,ventricles&spinal cord) Ocular cysticercosis
-Cysticercus mostly prefer the subarachnoid space than parenchyma
Cysticercosis in the eye: Uveitis, retinitis, or larvae floating in vitreous
Subcutaneous nodules containing cysticerci commonly occur
Cysts in skeletal muscles
Ventricular disease>cysts lodge in the ventricles or subarachnoid space
-.Obstructive hydrocephalus with abrupt onset.
Chronic meningitis> in minority

subcutaneous cysticerci
LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS
Samples: Blood>serum, tissue (biopsy) ,CSF and stool
Diagnostic form Taeniasis>eggs ; cysticercosis>larva
Stool examination:
-to demonstrate eggs and proglottids
-Anal swabs using cellophane swabs- better for egg demonstration
-Eggs are found in the stools less often than are proglottids Carmine stained mature proglottid

Microscopy: 5 to 10 uterine branches (gravid proglottids)

Cysts in tissue
Serologic Tests: ELISA (antibodies against T.solium antigen are detected). Highly sensitive.
Western blot assay- uses specific lentil lectin purified seven glycoproteins antigenic fractions
-Presence of one to seven band gp confirms the diagnosis
Lymphocyte transformation test- checks for lymphocyte transformation when subjected to T.solium cyst
Radiodiagnosis- MRI, CT Scan for cysts
-
TREATMENT:
 Intestinal taeniasis-Niclosamide & Praziquantel
 Cysticercosis: Praziquantel or albendazole
• Praziquantel and albendazole are highly effective in eliminating adult worm
• steroids- used to limit the inflammation
• Antiepileptics for seizures
• Surgical removal of ocular and cerebral cysts may be necessary
PREVENTION
 Prevent contamination of food with human feces
 Proper disposal of human feces
 Treating patients with cysticercosis
 Proper hygiene
 Do not eat undercooked pork or raw pork at all
 Health education

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