Life cycle of Taenia solium

Taenia Solium is another term for pork tapeworm. This type of tapeworm has been infecting animals and humans for hundreds of years, and it has been recognized as one of the earliest human parasites. A person becomes infected with Taenia solium when they eat raw or undercooked pork. When the food begins to digest in the body, the Taenia solium breaks off and attaches itself to the small intestine of its host. Once there it will take 5 to 12 weeks to mature into adulthood where it can survive for 25 years or more.

When a person is infected with Taenia solium they won’t experience overwhelming pain or discomfort, but they can have episodes of diarrhea, constipation, and indigestion. Still there have been instances where segments of the Taenia solium will crawl out of the sufferer’s anus.

The life cycle of Taenia solium begins when a human passes the eggs and egg segments from the mature tapeworm in their bodies through their feces. A pig will then become the next host when it ingests food that’s been contaminated with the feces. Once a human eats that pig’s undercooked or raw meat, he or she will become infected with the Taenia solium. The parasite will use its scolex (hooks) to attach itself to the human’s small intestine until it matures. Once it matures it will begin releasing eggs and gravid proglottids (segments of its body) through the human’s feces, thus beginning the process all over again.

In order to prevent becoming infected with Taenia solium, you should make sure your pork meat is well cooked. Don’t eat raw pork meat. If you think you’ve already been infected, consult your doctor immediately. Treatment is fast and simple with the ingestion of an anthelmintic drug.