Tapeworm infestation (Taeniasis)
Definition and clinical relevance
Taeniasis is intestinal infection with adult Taenia species. The two clinically important human species are Taenia saginata (beef tapeworm) and Taenia solium (pork tapeworm). In the UK taeniasis is uncommon but regularly reported in surveillance data. T.
solium is especially important because human ingestion of its eggs (fecal-oral) can cause cysticercosis - including neurocysticercosis - a potentially severe, specialist‑managed disease (see national guidance).
Epidemiology and transmission (practical points)
- Acquired by eating undercooked or raw meat that contains viable cysticerci: undercooked beef → T. saginata; undercooked pork → T. solium.
- Humans are the definitive host: adult worms live in the intestine and shed eggs and proglottids in faeces.
- Cysticercosis occurs after ingestion of T. solium eggs (from a human carrier via fecal-oral transmission); eating pork causes intestinal taeniasis but does not cause cysticercosis.
- Autoinfection of a T. solium carrier is possible.
- Public‑health control focuses on meat inspection, safe cooking, sanitation and hand hygiene; animal and travel control measures (e.g. praziquantel treatment requirements for pets before travel) are used in policy settings.
Clinical features
Intestinal taeniasis (adult worm)
- Most infections are asymptomatic.
- When symptomatic, signs are nonspecific and correlate with worm burden: mild abdominal discomfort, nausea, anorexia, diarrhoea or noticing passage of white segmented proglottids.