Teniasis: symptoms, treatment and life cycle

Teniasis is a parasitosis caused by the presence of the adult worm of Taenia sp ., Popularly known as solitary, in the small intestine, which can hinder the absorption of nutrients from food and cause symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, weight loss or abdominal pain, for example. It is transmitted by eating raw or undercooked beef or pork that is contaminated with the parasite.

In addition to teniasis, these parasites can also cause a disease caused by cysticercosis, which differ in the form of contamination and symptoms presented:

Teniasis: caused by the consumption of tapeworm larvae present in beef or little meat, which grows and lives in the small intestine in its adult form, where they release eggs that are eliminated in the feces and can contaminate animals and other people; Cysticercosis: occurs when the tapeworm eggs are ingested, which release their larvae capable of crossing the stomach wall and reaching the infected person's bloodstream. In this way, the larvae can be distributed throughout the body and reach various organs such as muscles, heart and eyes, for example. Upon reaching the brain, they can cause the most severe form of the disease, called neurocysticercosis.

To avoid teniasis it is important to avoid consuming raw beef and pork, washing your hands and food well before preparing them. If teniasis is suspected, it is important to go to the general practitioner to have tests done and treatment can be started, which is usually done with Niclosamide or Praziquantel.

Main symptoms

The initial infection with Taenia sp . does not lead to the appearance of symptoms, they appear as the parasite attaches to the intestinal mucosa and develops, leading to the appearance of the following symptoms:

Frequent diarrhea or constipation; Nausea; Abdominal pain; Headache; Lack or increased appetite; Dizziness; Weakness; Irritability; Weight loss; Tiredness and insomnia.

In addition, in children it can cause stunted growth and development, as well as difficulty gaining weight. The presence of Taenia sp . in the intestinal wall can cause hemorrhage and lead to the production and release of little or a lot of mucus.

How to confirm the diagnosis

The diagnosis of teniasis is often difficult since most people infected with Taenia sp . they have no symptoms, and when they do appear, they are similar to those of other infectious gastrointestinal diseases.

To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor usually evaluates the symptoms presented and requests a stool test to check for the presence of eggs or proglottids of Taenia sp ., Being possible to confirm the diagnosis.

Teniasis life cycle

The life cycle of teniasis can be represented as follows:

Generally, teniasis is acquired by consuming pork or beef contaminated with tapeworm larvae, which lodge in the small intestine and evolve into adulthood. After about 3 months, the tapeworm begins to release in the feces the so-called proglottids, which are segments of your body that contain reproductive organs and their eggs.

Tapeworm eggs can contaminate soil, water and food, which can be responsible for contaminating other animals or other people, who can acquire cysticercosis. Understand what it is and how to identify cysticercosis.

Taenia solium

Taenia saginata

Taenia solium and Taenia saginata are the parasites responsible for teniasis, are white in color, have a flat, ribbon-shaped body and can be differentiated as to their host and characteristics of the adult worm.

Taenia solium has pigs as a host and, therefore, transmission occurs when raw pork is infected. The adult worm of Taenia solium has the head with suction cups and rostrum, which corresponds to a structure formed by scythe-shaped acuules that allow adherence to the intestinal wall. In addition to causing teniasis, Taenia solium is also responsible for cysticercosis.

Taenia saginata hosts cattle and is only associated with teniasis. The adult worm of Taenia saginata has a disarmed head and no face, only with suction cups to fix the parasite to the intestinal mucosa. In addition, Taenia solium gravid proglottids are larger than Taenia saginata.

The differentiation of the species cannot be made through the analysis of the egg found in the examination of feces. Differentiation is only possible through observation of proglottids or through molecular or immunological tests, such as PCR and ELISA, for example.

How the treatment is done

The treatment for teniasis is done with antiparasitic remedies, mainly Praziquantel and Niclosamida, which is able to immobilize the tapeworm and favor its elimination in the feces. However, for this to happen and for the person to be cured of teniasis, it is important that the treatment is done exactly as recommended by the doctor. Learn more about treatment for teniasis.

How to prevent

To prevent teniasis, care must be taken, such as:

Do not eat raw or undercooked meat; Drink mineral water, filtered or boiled; Wash hands, especially after the bathroom and before meals; Wash food with filtered water.

In addition to these measures, it is important to give the animals clean water and not to fertilize the soil with human feces.