Intestitnal Infection: Cysticerosis

Cysticerosis or also known as Taeniasis is an intestinal infection dealing with the vicious adult tapeworms. There are two types of tapeworms involved though, Taenia solium (pork tapeworm) and also T saginata (beef tapeworm). Inside the body, Taenia Solium can develop in a number of tissues mainly located in the central nervous system. These tapeworms spread through contaminated food and water very rapidly. As you can tell Cysticerosis is mainly a food borne disease. Once the adult tapeworm eggs are ingested into your system, they move from the tissues and head toward either your brains or muscles trying to shut down or eat anything in their path. Once the worms reach their destination they form a cyst that can live inside the tissue for years. The cyst in your body will then cause inflammatory reactions leading you to have nodules, solid bumps in or under your skin, that reside in your muscles. However, if these nodules reside in your brain it can cause you to experience seizers which is another problem to add to your list. The tapeworms in the brain can be up to 5-20mm in diameter. The most severe form of this dis-ease is when it does exist in your brain, aka the central nervous system, as it is known as neuro-cysticercosis.

Symptoms

When Cysticerosis is located in your muscles it can very deadly. Symptoms include myositis which is a swelling in the muscles which I can imagine to be extremely painful. In addition to a continuous fever muscular pseudohypertrophym can also occur which is muscle swelling that can later lead to a waste or loss of muscle tissue, leaving you feeling extremely weak. As the tapeworms of cysts move into your brain you will experience seizures and headaches regularly. Many cysts in the brain ...

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...eces they are introduced to the disease, daily cleaning of pig pens and a steady supply of food will lessen their opportunities of being infected. Another way to prevent Cysticerosis is by giving the pigs a vaccination called oxfendazole, which has been shown to protect pigs from infections for about three months. Our overall purpose is to save lives and get rid of this nasty tapeworm.

Fun Facts

Cysticerosis is mainly found in Asia, Africa, and Latin America on farms where pigs and farmers interact. Cysticerosis can lead to epilepsy, a brain disorder or also death for humans and this reduces the market value of pigs and cattle because the risks are so high. This disease was once named eradicable by the International Task Force for Disease Eradication in 1993 meaning they tried to get rid of Cysticerosis completely but it remains a neglected disease.