Microbiology 25 - Global Health Priorities and Brain Worms

Question 1

What would be shown on MRI in taenia solum brain infestation?

Answer 1

A few scattered calcifications higher up in the brain

Question 2

What is the most common cause of adult-onset epilepsy in the world?

Answer 2

Taenia solum cysticosis

Question 3

Recall the 2 different syndromes that can be caused by taenia solum infection

Answer 3

Taeniasis (GUT tapeworm) - from eating raw pork
Cysticerosis (CNS infection with larvae) - from eating food contaminated with faeces containing the eggs of pork tapeworm

Question 4

How is taeniasis transmitted?

Answer 4

Pork tapeworm infection - as pigs are coprophagic

Question 5

What is the pathophysiology of cysticerosis?

Answer 5

The infection itself doesn’t cause pathology, it’s the immune response to the dying taenia

Question 6

How should cysticerosis be treated?

Answer 6

Cestocidal drugs alongside a course of high dose steroids (v important)

Question 7

Treatment of human tapeworm

Answer 7

praziquantel

Question 8

Difference between Intestinal tapeworms and Brain worms transmission?:

Answer 8

ingesting undercooked pork → intestinal tapeworms

ingesting tapeworm eggs → BRAIN WORMS

Question 9

How do you get cystericosis?

Answer 9

From eating food contaminated with human faecaes that contains the eggs of taenia solium

nOT from eating pork

Question 10

Name of cow tapeworm

Answer 10

Taenia saginata - cows:

Question 11

Which tapeworm causes cns disease in humans?

Answer 11

only pork tapeworm (taenia solium cystericosis)

beef/cow tapeworm cannot cause cns disease

Question 12

What is schistosomiasis?

Answer 12

Trematode infection (fluke infection)

Question 13

3 classes of helminths

Answer 13

1. cestodes i.e. tapeworm (taenia solium, taenia saginata etc.)
2. trematodes eg schisosomiasis
3. nematodes - roundworms