Taenia Flashcards
What class are the Taneia genus? What is the common name for them?
Cestoidea, cestodes
Tapeworms.
What are the two main species of Taenia?
T. saginata and T. solium
What are the primary and secondary hosts of the two Taenia species?
The primary host is humans for both.
T. solium intermediate host is pigs.
T. sagniata intermediate host, cows.
Describe their morphology, of the adults, and the eggs of the two species
T. solium has a hooked scolex
T. sanginata no hooks
Eggs of both are six-hooked
Both are hermaphrodites with the proglottids capable of sexually reproducing and filling with eggs, then dropping off in feces
Can both get meters in length.
Clinical presentation
Intestinal cestodes, Taeniasis
mild GI irritation, diarrhea, indigestion
may be totally asymptomatic
visible proglottids in the feces are often first sign.
Cystercicosis:
The eggs are capable of penetrating intestinal wall, and then may invade any soft tissue in the body.
They then develop in those tissues very slowly over months/years forming cysts.
Symptoms depend on location, due to inflammation around cysts, especially when it dies after about 5 years.
Pulmonary edema, muscle pain
Neurocystercicsois: "Cheese head" cysts in brain edema, hydrocephalus meningitis seizures neurological symptoms
Treatment for taeniasis or cystercicosis
Taeniasis for intestinal cestode: Niclosamide
Cystercicosis: Albendazole or Praziquantel, anti-inflammatory drugs to control symptoms.
