Tapeworm—Taenia solium, the pork tapeworm, is from one to several meters in length and is able to produce two diseases in the human, the taeniosis and cysticercosis.

The taeniosis (intestinal form) is an exclusive disease of humans, often asymptomatic, and can perhaps maintain the infection for years. The main clinical manifestation is the frequent spontaneous elimination of proglottids in the feces. Approximately 5% to 40% of people with taeniosis develop into cysticercosis, confirming the fecal-oral contamination and infections of people associated with them.

The neuro-cysticercosis in the human occurs when the infected cysticerci preferably infect the central nervous system, with epilepsy being one of the most frequent symptoms. This is the most dangerous and characteristic outcome of the neural form of this disease, affecting thousands of people in developing countries of South and Central America, Africa and Asia; nevertheless, in developed countries the disease is also present, most often in immigrants, travelers and tourists returning from endemic zones.

Taenia solium adult

Taenia solium lifecycle

References:

• Taenia solium picture: https://www.medicine.cmu.ac.th/dept/parasite/cestode/Tsolium_whole_worm.htm
• Taenia solium lifecycle chart: https://workforce.calu.edu/Buckelew/taenia_solium%20life%20cycle.htm