Foodborne parasitic infections: Taeniasis and Cysticercosis

Overview

Taeniasis is an intestinal infection caused by adult tapeworms of the Taenia genus: T. solium (pork tapeworm), T. saginata (beef tapeworm) and T. asiatica. Humans are the only definitive host (in which the adult worm lives) for each of these tapeworm species. For T. solium, humans can also act as an intermediate host (in which the larval stages live).Only T. solium has significant public health importance as it causes neurocysticercosis when the larvae encysts in the central nervous system (including the brain).

Other language available:

• Russian