Taenia Solium (Pork Tapeworm)

Taenia Solium (Pork Tapeworm) General Information

Taenia Solium is a cyclophyllid cestode that belongs to the family of Taeniidae. It is also commonly called Pork Tapeworm, as it is known to infect humans and pigs in parts of Southern Europe, South America, Asia, the Philippines, Africa, pockets of North America, and so on. If a human swallows the eggs of this parasite, an infectious medical disorder arises. The infection with Taenia Solium (Pork Tapeworm) is commonly called in the medical world Cysticercosis. One can get infected with this clinical illness through consuming food that had been contaminated by this parasite. Cases of autoinfection with this illness (in which an infected individual has swallowed contaminated food containing the parasite’s eggs) have also been reported.

All individuals should be well aware of the risk factors that may determine the presence of an infection with Taenia Solium (Pork Tapeworm). The main factors of risk include: consumption of pork, eating vegetables, fruits or other aliments that are contaminated with this pathogen (without washing them or cooking them properly). Another way to become infected with this illness is through direct contact with other individuals who are already infected with this medical condition or through contact with the fecal matter of such individuals.
The presence of this illness is not common in the US. However, many developing regions are confronted with numerous cases of such infections. The presence of this medical disorder may trigger the involvement of the patient’s central nervous system (commonly abbreviated as CNS). In such cases, the disorder is called NCC (neurocysticercosis); this is a severe medical disorder that requires professional medical attention as soon as possible.

Taenia Solium (Pork Tapeworm) Symptoms

Most patients who had been diagnosed with the presence of this medical disorder (infection with Taenia Solium (Pork Tapeworm)) had their muscles infected with this pathogen. In such cases, the worms remain in the muscular tissues and do not trigger any unpleasant symptoms – the disorder is asymptomatic. However, if the infection is not located in the patient’s muscular tissue, several clinical manifestations may be triggered, depending on the exact location of the pathogens. For example, some patients who had been diagnosed with the presence of an infectious disorder caused by Taenia Solium (Pork Tapeworm) presented severe brain lesions that lead to the development of seizures and other clinical signs that are generally associated with the presence of a brain tumor. In other cases, individuals with this infectious disease presented eye lesions, which determined blurred vision and even blindness.

If the infectious medical condition affects the patient’s heart, leading to heart lesions, the individual may experience abnormal heart rhythms (in the most severe cases, the patient may also experience heart failure). The presence of spine lesions (due to an infection with the Taenia Solium (Pork Tapeworm) pathogen) may trigger abnormal weakness, trouble walking, and so on. The list of symptoms that we have listed in this chapter is not complete. Every organism is known to respond to the presence of any disorder in a specific (and sometimes unique) way. For this reason, the only person who is authorized to diagnose your medical condition is your personal doctor (PD). Make sure that you refer to him or her as soon as you notice any unpleasant or bothersome clinical manifestations (symptoms).

Taenia Solium (Pork Tapeworm) Treatment

If your personal health care provider suspects that you may be suffering from an infection with this pathogen (Taenia Solium (Pork Tapeworm)) he or she will probably ask you to undergo a set of medical evaluations that will help him or her determine whether you are suffering from this infection or not. The most common clinical tests that are employed in such cases include blood tests (your physician will search for antibodies to the pathogen), x-rays, MRI scans and / or CTY scans (that will help your PD detect the presence of any lesions), biopsy of the tissues who are suspected to be affected by the pathogen, and so on.

The most common therapy options that are widely prescribed in the therapy of the infectious disorder that is caused by the presence of this pathogen (Taenia Solium (Pork Tapeworm)) include the intake of various types of medical products. The most common classes of medicines that are employed in the therapy of patients who have become infected with Cysticercosis include anti-parasitic remedies and highly effective anti-inflammatory medicines (such as steroids) that are known to help reduce any unwanted swelling. If the infection is located in the patient’s brain or in his or her eye, the individual will probably start the intake of steroids a couple of days before he or she starts the intake of any other medical products (in this way, any complications that may arise due to swelling – this is one of the adverse reactions of an anti-parasitic therapy). In some severe cases, a surgical procedure is needed for the physician to remove the area that has become affected by the Taenia Solium (Pork Tapeworm) parasite.

Patients who have been diagnosed with the presence of this infectious medical disorder will probably start the intake of antihelmitic remedies (such as Biltricide) which are able to increase the permeability of the worm’s cell membrane, aiding to its destruction. The intake of corticosteroids such as Prednisone is also common among individuals who are suffering from an infection with the Taenia Solium (Pork Tapeworm) pathogen. The use of corticosteroids is known to be able to help the individual manage some of the unpleasant side effects (adverse reactions) that may be triggered by the intake of other medical products (for example, such drugs may be widely employed in order to decrease inflammation). The prognosis of most cases of such an infectious disorder is usually good, unless the eye lesions have lead to brain damage, heart failure or blindness, which are generally irreversible. However, these complications are quite rare. The best way to prevent becoming infected with Taenia Solium (Pork Tapeworm) is not to consume uncooked aliments while traveling. All vegetables and / or fruits should be thoroughly washed before eating. For further information, contact your PD.