2.

TAENIA SOLIUM(pork tapeworm)

Important Properties:
Similar to the beef tapeworm,infection with Taenia solium occurs after ingestion
of improperly cooked or jaw pork meat containing infective larva (cysticercus
cellulosae). However, unlike the beef tapeworm,Taenia solium infection can also occur
with igestion of food or water contaminated with human feces that contains the worm
eggs.
The larvae are found in intermediate host (pig) and mature into adult worms in the
small intestines of humans. The adult worms may attain a length of 5 meters. On the
other hand, ingested worm eggs hatch in the small intestines, burrow through the wall
into a blood vessel, and disseminate to various organs, specially the eyes, brain and
skeletal muscles where they encyst to form larvae . Cystercosis is seen only with Taenia
Soliuminfections and not infection with taniea saginata.

PATHOGENESIS & EPIMIOLOGY

Little damage by the adult worms in the intestines . Also, no inflammation is induced
by living cysticerci. However, they release substance when they die, which may provoke
an infalmmaory reaction. However , encysted cysticerci may produce damage in the
tissues where they disseminate to. For instance, in the brain, they manifest as
spaceoccupying lesions.
Similar to Taenia saginata, the parasite is also found worldwide but is endemic in
certain areas in Asia, South Africa, and eastern Europe.

Life cycle of Taenia Solium

DISEASES: Taeniasis and Cysticercosis
Disease due to the adult worm (taeniasis) is usually asymptomatic, although anorexia
and diarrhea may occur in some. The most common area of involvement for cysticercosis
is the skeletal muscles. As such, patients may complain of muscle pain. Cystocercosis in
the brain (neurocysticercosis) is the most severe involvement. It commonly presents with
seizures, headache and vomiting. Cysticercosis in the eyes may present with uveitis or
renitis

Laboratory Diagnosis
Identification consists of finding of eggs or proglottids in the stools. Similar to the
beef tapeworm, eggs are less commonly found than proglottids. In the case of
cysticercosis, diagnosis depends on demonstrating the presence of the cyst in tissue,
usually by surgical removal or CT-scan.

Treatment:
Praziquantel is the treatment of choice for intestinal infection. For cysticercosis,
Praziquantel is also the drug of choice, but surgical removal of the larvae is necessary, if
possible. Anticonvulsants may be given in cases of neurocysticercosis.Albendazole may
be given as an alternative drug for cysticercosis.

Prevention:
Similar to beef tapeworm infection, prevention of infection with the pork tapeworms
also involves proper waste disposal and adequate cooking of pork meat. Prevention of
cysticercosis consists of treating patients to prevent autoinfection and proper hygiene to
prevent contamination of food with the eggs of the parasite.

3. Diphyllobothrium latum (fish tapeworm)

Important properties:
The fish tapeworm is the longest of the tapeworms, reaching a length of about 13
meters. Infection in humans can occurs after ingestion of improperly cooked or raw fish
containing the infective larvae (plerocercoid or sparganum). These develop into adult
worms in the small intestines of humans. The gravid proglottids release eggs, which are
passed out with feces. These eggs need to be deposited in fresh water for the life cycle of
parasite to continue. The eggs hatch and the embryos are eaten by tiny copepods (first
intermediate host), which develop into proceroid larvae. The corpepods are then eaten by
fresh water fish (e.g trout), in which they differentiate into ineffective larvae in the
muscle of the fish (second intermediate host).

Pathogenesis & epidemiology

Little damage is produced in the small intestines of the human hosts. In some
individuals, the parasite may complete with the host for vitamin b12, leading to a
deficiency of this vitamin. The parasite also has worldwide distribution but is endemic in
countries where eating raw fish is a custom