Taenia saginata is also known as beef tapeworm and belongs to Class Cestoda of Phylum Platyhelminthes.
General Chracters:
- It is an digenetic parasite of humans and cattle.
- Body is long and dorsoventrally flattened.
- Definitive host: Human
- Intermediate host: Cattle (Cow, buffalo).
Morphology:
- Adult worms are white, flattened, ribbon shaped and the body is segmented.
- Length: 5-10 metres.
- Body parts: Scolex, Neck and Proglottids (Strobilia).
- They are hermaphrodites, both male and female reproductive organs present in the same body.
Life cycle of Taenia saginata:
Life cycle of T. saginata completes in two hosts. The definitive host is the human where the adult worm resides and produces eggs. And the intermediate host is the cattle where the larval stage is developed.
(1) Adult T. saginata reside in the small intestine of humans (Primary host).
(2) After maturation, gravid proglottids release eggs.
(3) Eggs come out the through stool or faeces into the environment.
(4) These eggs are ingested by the cattle (cow, buffaloes) i.e. the intermediate host.
(5) Oncosphere larva hatches out from the egg and penetrate the gut wall of the cattle.
(6) These oncosphere larva travel through systemic circulation and reaches muscle.
(7) Oncosphere larva develops into cysticercosis bovis larva in muscle.
(8) Humans are ingesting raw or undercooked infected meat with cysticercus larva.
(9) In the gut of humans, scolex develops and forms into adult T. saginata.
Prevalence:
Epidemiology:
Seen in Africa, Middle east, Central and Southern America, Europe and Asia.
Pathogenicity:
- Cause Taeniasis
- Cause abdominal discomfort, chronic indigestion, diarrhoea.
Diagnosis:
- Stool examination
- Serological test for demonstration of specific antibodies in serum with the help of ELISA.
Prophylaxis:
- Avoid of eating raw and undercooked meat.
- Effective treatment of infected persons.
- Personal hygiene to prevent the risk.
- Vaccination of the cattle.
Treatment:
- Praziquantel (PZQ) – a single dose a before breakfast.
- Niclosamide a single dose in morning in empty stomach.
- Albendazole