Taenia Species (Tapeworm)

Subject: Community Health Nursing II

Overview

The Taenia solium is most commonly referred to as a tapeworm. Infections are brought on by consuming raw or inadequately cooked pork. The small intestine is its primary home. The tapeworm's primary host is a man, and its secondary host is a pig. Normal symptoms do not normally worsen, although irregular bowel movements, persistent dyspepsia, anemia, and intestinal issues can occasionally arise. Regular stool examinations, molecular techniques, X-rays, biopsies, and eosin eosinophilia can all be used to diagnose it. T.C. can be treated with the right medications, such as a single dose of niclosamide. Maintaining personal hygiene, avoiding raw meat or vegetables, avoiding raw foods, and treating infected people effectively and quickly can all help prevent it.

Taenia solium is sometimes known as "the pig tapeworm." It is available all around the world. The infection is caused by eating raw or undercooked pork.

Habitat: Small intestine

Host:

  • Primary (Definitive) host: Man
  • Secondary (Intermediate) host: Pig

Life Cycle

The worm's life cycle is divided into two stages: the definitive host and the intermediate host: The definitive host (which contains the mature worm) is man, whereas the intermediate host is pig (which harbors the larval stage).

The adult worm resides in man's small intestine, and the egg or gravid proglottids are excreted in his feces. By eating these eggs, the animals become sick. Following ingestion, the oncosphere hatches and penetrates the gut wall. It is circulated in a regular manner. The naked oncospheres are removed from the circulation blood and filtered into the muscular tissue.

Mode of Infection

It is by ingestion of undercooked meat of the intermediate hosts containing larvae.

  • T.solium: Pork, containing cysticercus cellulose (measly pork)
  • T.saginate: Beef, containing cysticercus bovis (measly beef)

Clinical Features

The definitive host and the intermediate host are where the worm spends its whole life cycle. A pig serves as an interim host between man, the permanent host (which is where the adult worm is found), and pig (which harbors the larval stage).

The gravid or egg-forming proglottids are excreted with the feces, and the adult worms reside in the small intestine of humans. Swallowing these eggs exposes the animals to the infection. Oncosphere emerges from the stomach after consumption and penetrates the intestinal wall. The systemic circulation carries it. The muscle tissue filters the bare oncospheres from the circulatory blood.

Laboratory Diagnosis

  • Intestinal taeniasis
    • Stool examination
    • Molecular methods
  • Diagnosis of cysticercosis
  • Biopsy
  • X-ray
  • Ct scan
  • MRI
  • Eosinophilia
  • By using ELISA, the antigen can be found in the serum or CSF.
  • Another factor in the diagnosis is gastrointestinal history.

Treatment

Human tapeworm infection is treated with praziquantel and niclosamide. Adult T. Saginata and T. Solium worms are effectively killed in the gut by a single dose of 2.0 gm niclosamide.

Prophylaxis

The preventive measures are such:

  • Avoid eating meat that is raw or undercooked.
  • Eat cooked vegetables instead of raw ones that were grown on sewage-irrigated land.
  • To avoid infecting intermediate hosts, an infected person needs to receive effective therapy.
  • Use good personal hygiene to lower your risk of contracting cysticercosis through self-infection.

REFERENCE

Ambika Rai, Kabita Dahal. Community Health Nursing II. Kathmandu: Makalu Publication House, 2012 (reprint).

Dr.Suwal S.N. & Tuitui R. (2063) A Textbook of Community Health Nursing, 1st edition, Vidyarthi Prakashan (P). Ltd. Kamalpokhari, Kathmandu

HealthLine. 2005. 2017 http://www.healthline.com/health/taeniasis

Mandal, G.N. Textbook of Adult Nursing. Kathmandu: Makalu Publication House, 2013.

Medline Plus. 05 January 2017 https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001391.htm

Tuitui, Roshani. Community Health Nursing. Kathmandu: Vidyarthi Prakashan (P.) LTD., 2067.

 

 

 
Things to remember
  • The common name for Taenia solium is tapeworm.
  • Due to the consumption of uncooked, raw, and vegetable-based foods, it has been infected.
  • Its primary habitat is the small intestine.
  • The tapeworm's primary host is a man, and its secondary host is a pig.
  • The typical tapeworm infection symptom is not rising, although it can occasionally be accompanied by nebulous stomach discomfort, indigestion, or anemia.
  • It is diagnosed by standard stool tests, molecular tests, biopsies, X-rays, and other methods.
  • Niclosamide in a single dose can be used to treat it.
  • It can be avoided by practicing good personal hygiene, avoiding raw vegetables and foods, and cooking your food thoroughly.
Questions and Answers

Common names for Taenia solium are" The pork tapeworm" .

 Host of tape worm is small intestine

Host:primary (Definitive)host:man

Secondary(Intermediate) host:pig

 Mode of infection of tapaeworm is:

It is by ingestion of undercooked meat of the intermediate hosts containing larvae.

T.solium : pork, containing cysticercus cellulose ( measly pork )

T.saginate : beef, containing cysticercus bovis ( measly beef )

 

Clinical features

They usually do not give rise to any symptoms. Occasionally, vague abdominal discomfort, chronic indigestion, anaemia and intestinal disorders may be present.

Cysticercus cellulose may develop in any organ. They usually develop as visible nodules in the subcutaneous tissue and muscles. It may also develop in the brain leading to epileptic attacks.

 

Laboratory diagnosis

  1. Intestinal taeniasis

_ stool examination

_ molecular methods

Diagnosis of cysticercosis

  1. Biopsy
  2. X-ray
  3. Ct scan
  4. MRI
  5. Eosinophilia
  6. The antigen can be detected in the serum or CSF by ELISA.
  7. A history of intestinal is another aid in the diagnosis.

 

 

 

 

Treatment For Tapeworm Infection Includes

  • Human tapeworm infection is treated with praziquantel and niclosamide. Adult T. Saginata and T. Solium worms are effectively killed in the intestine by a single dose of 2.0 gm niclosamide.

Among the Preventive Measures are

  • Avoid eating meat that is raw or undercooked.
  • Eat cooked vegetables instead of raw ones that were grown on sewage-irrigated land.
  • To avoid infecting intermediate hosts, an infected person needs to receive effective therapy.
  • Utilize good personal cleanliness to lower your risk of contracting custicercosis through autoinfection.

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