Taenia saginata (1)

Question 1

What are the common names?

Answer 1

Beef Tapeworm

Pearly beef

Beef measles

Question 2

What are the final hosts?

Answer 2

Humans

Question 3

What are the intermediate hosts?

Answer 3

Cattle

Question 4

Describe adults

Answer 4

5-15 m long

Unarmed scolex

Question 5

Describe 2nd stage larvae

Answer 5

Cysticercus

In muscle

Question 6

Describe eggs

Answer 6

Round/Oval

25-40 micro m

Thick shelled

Question 7

Explain the life cycle

Answer 7

PPP: 70-84 days

Gravid proglottids from humans pass in feces
- Rupture, disseminate eggs

Oncospheres ingested by cattle
- Hatches, penetrates small intestine, migrates via blood to skeletal
and cardiac muscle
- Develop to cysticercus
- Infective to FH (humans)
- Require ~12 weeks of development
- Remain viable for 9 months-2 years

FH ingests undercooked/uncooked meat containing cysticerci

Question 8

What are the sites of infection?

Answer 8

Final Host: Small Intestine

Intermediate Host: Striated Muscle

Question 9

Describe the Pathogenesis

Answer 9

Myocarditis - development of cysticerci

Heart failure - development of cysticerci

Discomfort from active proglottids when passed from anus

Question 10

How do you diagnose?

Answer 10

Meat inspection guidelines designed to examine and detect cysticerci in muscles (masseter, tongue, heart, intercostal, diaphragm, triceps)

Serological tests - antigen or antibody tests
- Detection using blood from infected cow or human

Question 11

How do you treat and prevent?

Answer 11

Praziquantel highly effective when cattle treated during early stages of infection
- Rarely practical

Greatest impact: Focus on Humans

 - Education
 - Hygiene
 - Dissemination of information 
 - Sewage treatment 
 - Cook meat thoroughly
 - Freeze meat
 - Improve sanitation 
 - Confine cattle
 - Improve cattle management

Question 12

What is important about Taenia saginata?

Answer 12

It is ZOONOTIC