| disease | Tapeworm Disease and Cysticercosis |
| alias | Pork Tapeworm Disease, Pork Tapeworm Disease, Taeniasis Solium, Hookworm Disease |
Adult Chinese Taxillus Herb Human body small intestine, usually one, cysticercosis commonly known as cysticercosis, its harm is greater than tapeworm disease. The degree of harm varies depending on the location and number of cysticerci Chinese Taxillus Herb. 1. Subcutaneous and muscular cysticercosis: cysticerci are located under the skin or mucous membrane, within muscles, forming nodules. 2. Cerebral cysticercosis: due to the different locations and degrees of infection of cysticerci in the brain Chinese Taxillus Herb, as well as the condition of the cysticerci themselves and the host's reaction to Chinese Taxillus Herb worms, the clinical symptoms of cerebral cysticercosis are extremely complex, ranging from asymptomatic to potentially causing sudden death. 3. Ocular cysticercosis: can Chinese Taxillus Herb in any part of the eye, but the vast majority are in the deep parts of the eyeball, vitreous body, and beneath the retinal membrane Chinese Taxillus Herb. Usually affects one eye. Mild symptoms manifest as visual disturbances, often with visible worm movement, while severe cases can lead to blindness.
bubble_chart Epidemiology
The pork tapeworm is widely distributed worldwide, primarily prevalent in Europe, some countries in Central and South America, and India. The majority of patients are young adults, with higher incidence rates in rural areas than in cities. The occurrence and spread of the disease are directly related to local living habits and sanitary conditions.
Pork tapeworm disease is caused by eating raw or undercooked "rice pork" (i.e., pork infected with cysticerci); human cysticercosis occurs due to accidental ingestion of the eggs of the pork tapeworm.
bubble_chart Pathological ChangesOccasionally, tapeworm disease may cause local injury due to the scolex adhering to the intestinal wall, and in rare cases, it may perforate the intestinal wall or lead to intestinal obstruction. Cysticercosis: 1. In subcutaneous and muscular cysticercosis, the cysticerci are located under the skin or mucous membranes, or within the muscles, forming nodules. 2. Cerebral cysticercosis can cause mechanical compression of tissues. 3. Ocular cysticercosis may result in fundus abnormalities, optic disc edema, optic atrophy, etc. Once the cysticerci die, they can cause changes in intraocular tissues, vitreous opacity, retinal detachment, optic atrophy, concurrent internal visual obstruction, secondary glaucoma, and eventually lead to eyeball atrophy and blindness.
bubble_chart Clinical Manifestations
The clinical symptoms of tapeworm disease are generally mild, with a few patients experiencing dull pain in the upper abdomen or entire abdomen, indigestion, diarrhea, weight loss, and other symptoms. Occasionally, local injury may occur due to the scolex adhering to the intestinal wall, and in rare cases, it may perforate the intestinal wall or cause intestinal obstruction. Cysticercosis: 1. Subcutaneous and muscular cysticercosis: No symptoms may appear with mild infection. When the number of Chinese Taxillus Herb is large, patients may experience muscle soreness, weakness, swelling, numbness, or pseudohypertrophic myopathy. 2. Cerebral cysticercosis: Epileptic seizures, increased intracranial pressure, and psychiatric symptoms are the three main symptoms of cerebral cysticercosis. Neurological disorders and cerebral blood flow disturbances may manifest as memory decline, vision impairment, and psychiatric symptoms. Other possible symptoms include headache, dizziness, vomiting, confusion, aphasia, limb numbness, local spasms, hearing impairment, mental disorders, dementia, hemiplegia, and blindness. 3. Ocular cysticercosis: Mild cases may present as vision impairment, often with visible movement of the worm. Severe cases can lead to blindness. Occasionally, optic disc edema and optic atrophy may occur. When the cysticercus dies, it can cause vitreous opacity, retinal detachment, optic atrophy, and complications such as internal visual obstruction and secondary glaucoma, eventually leading to eyeball atrophy and blindness. Common complications include cysticercosis.
Inquiring about meat-eating habits has certain significance in identifying patients. Due to the weak motility of the gravid proglottids of this parasite, the chance of detecting gravid proglottids and eggs is relatively low. For suspected patients, stool examinations should be conducted consecutively for several days, and if necessary, experimental deworming can also be performed. Collecting all of the patient's stool and washing it with water to examine for scolex and gravid proglottids can help determine the parasite species and confirm treatment efficacy. Immunological methods include: 1. Indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA), with a positive detection rate of 73–88%, commonly used in clinical practice; 2. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), with a positive detection rate of 88.4%; 3. Dot-ELISA, which offers better specificity and sensitivity, is simple and easy to perform, suitable for primary healthcare settings, with a positive detection rate of over 95%. Other methods include enzyme-labeled antigen counterimmunoelectrophoresis (ELACIE) and monoclonal antibody detection of circulating antigens in patients, such as McAb (4F4), inhibitory ELISA, etc.
1. Diagnosis of Taenia solium tapeworm disease: Inquiring about the aforementioned meat-eating habits is of certain significance in identifying patients. Since the gravid proglottids of this parasite have weak motility, the chances of detecting gravid proglottids and eggs are relatively low. For suspected cases, stool examinations should be conducted consecutively for several days, and anthelmintic treatment may be administered experimentally if necessary. The diagnosis can be confirmed by observing the suckers and rostellar hooks on the scolex or the branching pattern and number of uterine branches in gravid proglottids, which are pressed lightly between two glass slides.
3. Currently, immunologically proven effective methods include: ① Indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA), with a positive detection rate of 73–88%, commonly used in clinical practice; ② Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), with good sensitivity and specificity, and a positive detection rate of 88.4%; ③ Dot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Dot-ELISA), which has even better specificity and sensitivity, is simple and practical, suitable for primary healthcare use, with a positive detection rate of over 95%. Other methods include enzyme-labeled antigen counterimmunoelectrophoresis (ELACIE) and monoclonal antibody detection of circulating antigens, such as McAb (4F4), inhibitory ELISA, etc.
bubble_chart Treatment Measures
It is essential to implement comprehensive prevention and control measures focusing on "elimination, management, and inspection."
The conventional method for treating cysticercosis is surgical removal of the cysticerci. The only reasonable treatment for ocular cysticercosis is surgical extraction of the parasite. If the parasite dies before removal, it can trigger severe inflammatory reactions, potentially necessitating the removal of the entire eyeball. However, surgical intervention is often challenging for cysticerci located in special or deep-seated areas, leaving symptomatic treatment as the only option. For instance, anti-epileptic drugs may be administered for cerebral cysticercosis. There have been reports in China of effective treatment of cysticercosis using Chinese medicinals and acupuncture.
In recent years, it has been demonstrated that praziquantel, albendazole, and mebendazole can cause degeneration and death of cysticerci. Praziquantel, in particular, offers advantages such as high efficacy, low dosage, and ease of administration. However, all these drugs may cause varying degrees of side effects, including headache, vomiting, fever, dizziness, and rashes.
After taking the medication, collect 24-hour stool samples and carefully wash them to check for the presence of scolex. If no scolex is found, follow-up should be intensified. If no proglottids or eggs are detected within 3 to 4 months, it can be considered cured.
1. Treating Patients: Based on census results, promptly administer deworming treatment to patients.
2. Managing Toilets and Pig Pens: Mobilize the public to properly manage toilets and establish enclosed pig pens to control cross-infection between humans and livestock.
3. Personal Hygiene: Vigorously publicize the hazards of the disease, eliminate bad habits, avoid eating raw meat, wash hands before meals and after using the toilet to prevent accidental ingestion of parasite eggs. Ensure meat is thoroughly cooked during preparation. Cysticerci in meat can be killed after 5 minutes at 54°C. Separate knives and cutting boards for raw and cooked meat must be used.
4. Strengthening Meat Inspection: Improve sanitary inspections of meat products in urban and rural areas, with particular emphasis on inspecting meat sold by individual vendors in farmers' markets. Before reaching the market, meat must undergo strict inspection and treatment. Pork stored at -12 to -13°C for 12 hours will have all cysticerci killed.
In prevention and control efforts, strengthen leadership and ensure close coordination among agricultural, livestock, health, and commercial departments to rigorously implement comprehensive measures and achieve tangible results.
Place the recovered scolex or gravid proglottid between two glass slides and apply gentle pressure. Observe the suckers and rostellar hooks on the scolex or the branching pattern and number of the uterus in the gravid proglottid to confirm the diagnosis and differentiate it from Taenia saginata.
