Taenia Saginata (Beef Tapeworm)

Taenia Saginata (Beef Tapeworm) General Information

Taenia Saginata (Beef Tapeworm) also known as Taeniarhychus saginata is a parasite medical condition that can only develop and reproduce inside a human’s body. Generally, this kind of parasite is three to five meters in length, but there are also severe cases in which it can reach over 20 meters. It does not present a rostellum or scolex armature, because the scolex is formed from four powerful suck formations. Usually, these parts are made up from mature and gravid proglottid. A mature proglottid presents also a uterus, which can be unbranched, ovaries, genital pore, testes, and vitelline gland. In the gravid proglottid, the uterus is branched and contains its eggs. Any of these parts can be considered a different worm and when it dries up it ruptures and releases the eggs. In most of the cases, the egg develops inside the cattle, where the oncosphere hatch with the help of the gastric and intestinal acids, and after, it travels through the blood reaching the muscles. After it reaches the muscles, Taenia Saginata (Beef Tapeworm) becomes cysticerci. Due to these organisms the patient is getting infected, and also because the beef is not cooked fully. It is very important to cook the beef until is no longer pink on the inside, because the organism dies at 56 degrees C. It is very important to prevent the Taenia Saginata (Beef Tapeworm) to occur, but if the patient gets infected, an early treatment of this medical condition is crucial in the further healing process.

Taenia Saginata (Beef Tapeworm) Symptoms

In most cases, a person who is infected with Taenia Saginata (Beef Tapeworm) experiences little to no signs and symptoms. There are also certain manifestations that can differ depending on each patient and can include abdominal pain, dizziness, headache, nausea, diarrhea and loss of appetite. These manifestations also differ depending on the part of the patient’s gastrointestinal tract that has been affected by the Taenia Saginata (Beef Tapeworm), but they are usually relieved through surgery. There are cases in which the tapeworm can expel antigens that can lead to the appearance of certain allergic reactions. If the patient is not treated properly, he can also develop a moderate form of eosinophilia. In more severe cases of Taenia Saginata (Beef Tapeworm) the patient can experience an active crawling of the muscular segments out of the patient’s anus. In rarer cases, the patient can experience intestinal perforation due to the worm’s colex, or cases in which the patient can vomit the proglottides and then aspirate them. Due to the fact the tapeworm has little contact with the epithelial lining it can also cause inflammation, allergic reaction, and other cell mediated or umoral responses. Some worms can travel through the patient’s body reaching the appendix, pancreas or bile causing severe abdominal pain. If the infection is not treated properly, it can cause severe complications, especially when it can develop outside the patient’s gastrointestinal tract, reaching the bone marrow and even the central nervous system. If either of these complications is not treated the patient can develop seizures and other neurological disorders.

Taenia Saginata (Beef Tapeworm) Treatment

It is very important to diagnose an infection as Taenia Saginata (Beef Tapeworm) in an early stage because by doing this, the doctors can prevent any complications and increase the patient’s healing chances. It is very difficult to identify the eggs, because they look like other eggs from the Taeniidae family. Due to this fact, doctors try to identify it by looking at the scolex or at the gravid proglottides. There are cases in which the infection reached an advanced stage, and the proglottid can be visible with unaided eye. There are cases in which the doctor can inject ink inside the worm’s uterus, so that its branches become visible. Counting these branches the doctor can identify the worm; normally, this kind of tapeworm presents twelve branches on each side. This is an important fact in diagnosing the infection, because most of the worms from the Taenia Solium family have five to ten branches. An infection similar to Taenia Saginata (Beef Tapeworm) is usually treated with two main medicines which can include Biltricide and Humatin.

Biltricide is usually used to treat any worm infection such as schistosoma or liver fluke. Generally, it is an anthelmintic agent that acts by killing these sensitive worms. This kind of medicine has also certain restrictions and is very important not to use it if the patient is allergic to any ingredient in it, if the patient has certain worm infections of the eye, if the patient is breastfeeding or if he/she is taking other medicines such as Rifampin. It is also very important to know that the medicine can interfere with other medical conditions, and that is why the doctor has to know if the patient is suffering from other diseases. There are also cases in which, despite the infection called Taenia Saginata (Beef Tapeworm), the patient is pregnant, or planning to become pregnant, breastfeeding, is taking medication, herbal preparation or dietary supplements, he suffers from certain allergies to medicines, foods, or other substances, or if he is also suffering from kidney, liver or heart diseases, and even he presents a worm infection of the brain.

The most common medicines that can interact with the Biltricide medicine that can also worsen the infection - Taenia Saginata (Beef Tapeworm) can include anticonvulsants such as Phenytoin, Phenobarbital, Carbamezepine; Azole antifungal such as Jetoconazole, Cimetidine, or Erythromycin; and other medicines such as Chloroquine, Dexamethasone, and Rifampin. If the doctor does not consider this fact, the patient can develop side effects and serious complications of this condition. In treating Taenia Saginata (Beef Tapeworm), it is very important for the patient to contact his heath care provider before he starts, stops, or changes the dose of any prescribed medication. The second main medicine used to treat this kind of infection is Humatin and is usually applied similar to Biltricide. There are cases in which the medicine can be used to treat severe complications of liver disease such as hepatic coma. Avoid losing a dose or overdosing because you may develop adverse effects that are harder to treat.