Zaporozhyan state medical university departement of infectious diseases

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CESTODOSES 

 

TAENIARHYNHOSIS  is antraponotic biohelminthosis with chronic 

course. 

Etiology. Causative agent is Taeniarhynchus saginatus. Adult worm of Т. 

Saginatus consists of scolex, neck and tape body. Scolex has 4 suckers. Body 

(strobila) consists of 1000–2000 hermaphroditic segments (proglottids). Body 

length is about 4-7 meters. The terminal proglottids have uterus with eggs. One 

mature proglottid has about 170 thousands eggs. Eggs are stable in environment 

especially at low temperature. They can survive in water during 33 days, in grass – 

up to 159 days.   

Epidemiology. Taeniarhynhosis is widespread but is most prevalent in 

Middle and Southeast Asia, Transcaucasia, Africa, South America and Australia. It 

is more spread in countries with large livestock sector. Source of invasion is ill 

human. Adult helminthes can live in human body for many years (25 years).   

Human is the only definitive host for T. saginata, which inhabits the upper 

jejunum. On the 75

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 day after invasion mature proglottids start excreted.  

They are released almost every day. Eggs contained larvas (oncospheres) are 

infective for the intermediate host such as herbivores (cattle, buffalo, yak) hence Т. 

Saginatus is biohelminth. Taeniarhynhosis doesn’t belong to contact helminthosis 

and ill human is not contagious for other people. Cattle become infected by eating 

fodder contained human faeces with oncospheres. The embryo released after 

ingestion invades the intestinal wall, enters the bloodstream and is carried to 

intramuscular connective tissue, where it transforms into the cysticercus. It is 

round shaped formation up to 1 cm in diameter with a scolex inside. They become 

infective within 12 weeks and remain viable in the living host for 2 years; they are 

viable in stored, chilled meat for several weeks but are killed at –20°C within 1 

week.  Humans become infected after ingesting of raw or undercooked infected 

meat (shashlik etc., tasting of raw minced meat). After the cysticercus is ingested, 

it takes 2 months for the mature adult worm to develop. There is no formation of 

immunity to Т. Saginatus. 

Pathogenesis. T. Saginata has toxico-allergic influence into human body, 

leads to mechanical damage and abnormality of nutritive absorption in intestine 

due to mucous membrane injury. 

Clinical features. Invasion with T. saginatus is often asymptomatic. Fecal 

passage of proglottids may be noted by patients. The proglottids are often motile 

and can crawl out of the anus without defecation especially at night. Due to this 

patients can find proglottids in bed which is typical only for Taeniarhynhosis. 

Patients may experience perianal discomfort when proglottids are discharged. 

Pruritus ani is common. Mild abdominal pain or discomfort, nausea, change in 

appetite, weakness, diarrhea and weight loss can occur. T. saginatus occasionally 

obstructs the small intestine, pancreatic duct, or bile duct. Proglottids are recorded 

in the gallbladder, and eggs have been found in gallstones. 

 

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TAENIA SAGINATA 

 

Specific diagnostics. The diagnosis is made by the detection of eggs or 

proglottids in the stool. Eggs may also be present in the perianal area; thus, if 

proglottids or eggs are not found in the stool, the perianal region should be 

examined with use of a cellophane-tape swab. The eggs are indistinguishable from 

those of T. solium so laboratory will give conclusion: “eggs of teniid are found”. 

Distinguishing T. saginata from T. solium requires examination of mature 

proglottids by macroscopic examination which is the main method of investigation 

for Taeniarhynhosis. Mature segments of T. saginatus are 2 cm in length and 0,5 

cm in width. Each gravid segment has 15–38 uterine branches (in contrast to 8–12 

for T. solium).  

Treatment. Praziquantel, Mebendazole, Niclosamide, pumpkin seeds and 

other medicine can be used. 

Niclosamide. A single morning dose of 2 g niclosamide is given to adults 

and older children on an empty stomach; the tablets should be chewed. Children of 

2 to 6 years should receive 1 g, and those below 2 years, 500 mg.  

Praziquantel is given in a single dose of 10 to 20 mg/kg after a light 

breakfast.  

Phenasalum is given in dose of 2 g in 3 hours after a light breakfast and 1 g 

on an empty stomach next morning.  

Mebendazole (vermox) 300 mg 2 times a day during 3 days.  

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After either drug the proximal part of the worm disintegrates in the gut and 

the scolex cannot be found. Failure of proglottids to reappear within 3 to 4 months 

indicates cure. 

In case of bad tolerance to antihelminthic drugs pumpkin seeds are used. 

Patient has to take easily digestible food and do enema every morning during two 

days before treatment starts. In the evening of the last day before treatment saline 

purgative has to be taken and next morning on an empty stomach enema has to be 

done. 500 grams of pumpkin seeds are chopped. Twice more amount of water is 

added. Put it in steam bath for two hours, filtrate through gauze then remove oily 

film. It should be taken on an empty stomach during 30 minutes. In 2 hours after 

taking decoction saline purgative has to be given.  

Regular medical check-up. In three months after course of treatment 

investigation of faeces has to be done 4 times with one month interval. After 

negative results of laboratory examinations patient doesn’t need to do regular 

medical check-up anymore. 

 

TAENIASIS is antraponotic biohelminthosis with chronic course. 

Etiology. Causative agent is Taenia solium. It is 2-3 meters in length and 

consists of scolex, neck and strobila. Scolex has four suckers and a double row of 

hooks. Strobila may have 1000 segments (proglottids). The terminal proglottids 

have uterus with up to 50 000 eggs. Eggs are stable in environment. They can 

survive in desiccation condition during 10 months or under snow during winter. 

But they are sensitive to high temperature. Direct sunbeams kill them in soil during 

2 days.  

Epidemiology. Taeniosis is widespread, especially in India, China, Africa, 

Latin America.  

Source of invasion is ill human. T. solium can cause two distinct forms of 

infection in humans: adult helminthes live in small intestine of human and cause 

Taeniosis; larval forms inhabit the tissues and cause cysticercosis. The definitive 

host for T. Solium is humans. Segments get detached from strobila and excreted in 

environment with faeces. Eggs contain oncospheres and are infective for both 

humans and animals.  

T. solium is biohelminth. Maturation of larva takes place in intermediate 

hosts such us pig, wild boar, cat, camel, hare, monkey. They become infected with 

oncospheres by eating feedstuff contaminated with patient’s faeces. In intestine of 

intermediate host the embryo released after ingestion invades the intestinal wall 

and is carried with blood to almost all organs where in 2-3 months it transforms 

into the cysticercus with about 1 cm in diameter. Cysticercus is round-shaped 

formation with scolex and neck of parasite inside. In animals (most of all in pigs) 

they are mainly localized in intermuscular connective tissue. The cysts are most 

numerous in the tongue, masseter, heart, and diaphragm, but also occur in the 

brain.  

Invasion of human with Taeniosis happens due to eating of invasive, not 

proper cooked meat (shashlik, blood beefsteak and other). Cysticercus localized in 

pig is resistant to high and low temperature, high concentration of salt. In small 

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