TAENIASIS-CYSTICERCOSIS COMPLEX
TAENIASIS-CYSTICERCOSIS COMPLEX.
While I was growing up, there was this belief we had about Pigs.. and Ducks to be specific.
My parents do not buy, neither do they slaughter Pigs , not to even talk of eating Pigs. They believed that Pigs have maggots embedded inside of them.
Some people even went ahead to say that the maggots come alive when a drink we all know as LaCasera in Nigeria is poured on the flesh of these animals.
Ever since, I had the same opinion about these poor animals.
However, and fortunately for me, I know better now.
What they called maggots were Cysticerci of some worms and they cause the disease known as Cysticercosis. If these are them eaten by humans, humans stand the risk of having a disease known as Taeniasis.
Taeniasis refers to the intestinal infection of humans with adult tapeworms, while cysticercosis is caused by the larval stage of the tapeworm.
CAUSATIVE AGENT -
1.Taenia solium: Causes taeniasis (intestinal infection) in humans.
2.Taenia saginata: Also causes taeniasis in humans.
The larval form (cysticercus) of Taenia solium causes cysticercosis in intermediate hosts, particularly pigs, and sometimes in humans.
3.Taenia asiatica (Asia tapeworm)
LIFECYCLE -
The lifecycle of Taenia involves humans as the definitive host and pigs (T. solium and T. asiatica), and cattle (T. saginata) as the intermediate host.
Eggs or what we call gravid progllotids of worms called Taenia solium or Taenia saginata that infest Pigs and Cattles respectively are passed into the environment.
Cattles and Pigs become infected after they must have ingested vegetation contaminated by these eggs or gravid progllotids (that's, "pregnant worms".. note that this is crudely translated).
Oncospheres hatch, they penetrate the wall of intestines of these animals and circulate to the muscles.
If Humans, by any chance, eat these muscles with these worms through ingestion of raw or undercooked infected meats, they get infected and the condition would be called Taeniasis.
Transmission to humans occurs through ingestion of contaminated food or water containing eggs or larvae of the tapeworm.
CLINICAL PRESENTATION -
Taeniasis: Often asymptomatic, but symptoms may include abdominal discomfort, nausea, and weight loss.
Cysticercosis: Symptoms depend on the location of cysts in the body. Common manifestations include seizures, neurological symptoms, and subcutaneous nodules.
PREVENTION AND CONTROL -
1.Proper sanitation and hygiene practices, including the washing of hands before eating and proper cooking of pork.
2.Education of communities about the risks associated with consuming undercooked pork. This is exactly what I am doing.
3.Control measures targeting the intermediate host, such as proper pig/cattle management and deworming.
While I was growing up, there was this belief we had about Pigs.. and Ducks to be specific.
My parents do not buy, neither do they slaughter Pigs , not to even talk of eating Pigs. They believed that Pigs have maggots embedded inside of them.
Some people even went ahead to say that the maggots come alive when a drink we all know as LaCasera in Nigeria is poured on the flesh of these animals.
Ever since, I had the same opinion about these poor animals.
However, and fortunately for me, I know better now.
What they called maggots were Cysticerci of some worms and they cause the disease known as Cysticercosis. If these are them eaten by humans, humans stand the risk of having a disease known as Taeniasis.
Taeniasis refers to the intestinal infection of humans with adult tapeworms, while cysticercosis is caused by the larval stage of the tapeworm.
CAUSATIVE AGENT -
1.Taenia solium: Causes taeniasis (intestinal infection) in humans.
2.Taenia saginata: Also causes taeniasis in humans.
The larval form (cysticercus) of Taenia solium causes cysticercosis in intermediate hosts, particularly pigs, and sometimes in humans.
3.Taenia asiatica (Asia tapeworm)
LIFECYCLE -
The lifecycle of Taenia involves humans as the definitive host and pigs (T. solium and T. asiatica), and cattle (T. saginata) as the intermediate host.
Eggs or what we call gravid progllotids of worms called Taenia solium or Taenia saginata that infest Pigs and Cattles respectively are passed into the environment.
Cattles and Pigs become infected after they must have ingested vegetation contaminated by these eggs or gravid progllotids (that's, "pregnant worms".. note that this is crudely translated).
Oncospheres hatch, they penetrate the wall of intestines of these animals and circulate to the muscles.
If Humans, by any chance, eat these muscles with these worms through ingestion of raw or undercooked infected meats, they get infected and the condition would be called Taeniasis.
Transmission to humans occurs through ingestion of contaminated food or water containing eggs or larvae of the tapeworm.
CLINICAL PRESENTATION -
Taeniasis: Often asymptomatic, but symptoms may include abdominal discomfort, nausea, and weight loss.
Cysticercosis: Symptoms depend on the location of cysts in the body. Common manifestations include seizures, neurological symptoms, and subcutaneous nodules.
PREVENTION AND CONTROL -
1.Proper sanitation and hygiene practices, including the washing of hands before eating and proper cooking of pork.
2.Education of communities about the risks associated with consuming undercooked pork. This is exactly what I am doing.
3.Control measures targeting the intermediate host, such as proper pig/cattle management and deworming.
