Taenia solium Flashcards
Taenia solium is a Zoonosis (T/F)
True
What is the definitive host for Taenia solium?
Humans
What is the intermediate host for Taenia solium?
- Humans (adult tapeworm)
- Pigs (larval stage)
What are the characteristics of Taenia solium?
- Scolex WITH HOOKS
- Proglottid has <13 lateral branches
- Only humans have the tapeworm
How is Taenia solium transmitted?
-Host eat undercooked pork containing the larval stage
or
-Ingest pig feces with infected oncospheres
Regarding the life cycle of Taenia solium, what is the first step?
- Humans shed proglottid in feces with thousands of eggs.
Regarding the life cycle of Taenia solium, what happens after humans shed proglottid in feces with thousands of eggs?
- Pigs, esp free range pigs, ingest eggs
- Eggs hatch and penetrate capillaries and then migrate to muscle
Regarding the life cycle of Taenia solium, how is it transmitted from pic to human?
People eat undercooked pork and become infected with larva
Can oncosphere in eggs of pic feces of Taenia solium infect humans?
YES!!!
What are the clinical symptoms of Taenia solium infection?
- Eggs of Taenia solium are infective to humans resulting in cysticerosis with predilliction sites in brain causing fatal Neurocysticerosis and eye causing occular cysticercosis and BLINDNESS
How would one directly diagnose Taenia solium?
-Detection of proglottid (segmented body) in feces)
How would one indirectly diagnose Taenia solium?
- X-rays
- CT scans
- Ultrasound
- Serodiagnosis
What is the treatment of Taenia solium tapeworm?
- Niclosamide (to purge whole tapeworm)
- Pumpkin seeds
What would one use to treat neurocystercosis caused by Taenia solium?
- Albendazole/ corticosteroids
(Needed for inflammation response when tapeworm dies)
Why wouldn’t one use Praziquantel for treatment of neurocystercosis caused by Taenia solium?
-Works too fast and causes too much inflammation for body
