Pork tapeworm infestation also referred to as cysticercosis is an infection caused by Taenia Solium, the pork tapeworm (Willms, 2008). This condition occurs due to ingestion of tapeworm larvae which eventually forms cysticerci. One can ingest the cyst in various ways; including drinking contaminated water, food or even putting the contaminated fingers in your mouth. People having tapeworm infections also re-infect themselves, by a process called autoinfection. The tapeworm causing this condition is found worldwide, but there is a significant prevalence of pork tapeworm infestation in rural areas, with low standards of hygiene. Pigs are allowed to move around freely consuming infected fecal matter, hence leading to the continuation of the lifecycle of the tapeworm. Poor health, exposure to livestock, traveling to developing countries, eating of undercooked meats and living in endemic areas has been cited as the leading factors to the pork tapeworm infection. Cysticercosis is very rare in Muslim countries due to the prohibition of pork.
The signs and symptoms of the infection depend on the number and the location of cysticerci in the body. Muscular Cysticerci infection cannot be easily be detected (Willms, 2008). Though not easily identified, patients can detect the disease in an invent where they experience swellings under the skin and blisters on the eyes. Cysticerci infection on the brain results to headaches, distorted balance, swelling of the brain, confusion and lack of attention and even death due to massive infection. The infection can also lead to digestive blockage, weight loss, and organ disruption.
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The diagnosis of Cysticercosis is complicated as it requires a combination of varied testing methods. Often, healthcare providers make an inquiry of the places the patient might have traveled as well as their eating habits. CT or MRI scans usually achieve the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis. Though not accurate, blood tests can also be used in the diagnosis of Cysticercosis infection. Sometimes when there is the necessity for surgery, the diagnosis can be confirmed in the laboratory.
Lifecycle
The cycle begins with the pig drinking water or eating food that is contaminated with the eggs of the tapeworm. The eggs hatch in the small intestines, penetrating to various areas of the interior of the animal. The hatched eggs quickly become cysticercus, and they become visible after two to four weeks. The cyst reaches their full size 60 to 70 days (Jiang, Tong, Tan, Han, & Shi, 2014). The eggs which have the capability of surviving in the environment are passed with contaminated feces.
Human beings ingest the eggs through contaminated water, food, dirty hands or eating uncooked meat. The oncospheres then hatch and develop in the small intestines. The cysticercus develops into a mature tapeworm in two months. The tapeworm can survive for many years in the intestines. Notably, the adult tapeworms reside in the small intestines, attaching themselves to the ileum by their scolex. The adult tapeworm is the about 2-7m length. The adult tapeworms produce the proglottids which become gravid upon maturity. They detach themselves from the parent worm and migrate to the anal area while others are passed out in the stool, approximately six per day. Adult T. sodium on average has 1000 proglottids (Jiang, Tong, Tan, Han, & Shi, 2014). The gravid proglottids containing the eggs are passed out with the feces. T.solium produces an average of 50000 eggs for each proglottid respectively. It is significant to note that human beings and swine are the major hosts for the tapeworm.
Control Measures for the Pork Tapeworm
Pork tapeworm can be controlled using varied techniques. To begin with, slaughterhouse control is viewed as one of the most effective control measures by health providers (Sato, Sako, Nakao, Wandra, Nakaya, Yanagida, & Ito, 2011). However, this method has its shortcomings given that most pigs harbor a few cysts that cannot be easily detected during routine carcass examination. To make matters worse, dishonest people in business may sell the carcasses of infected animals to the unsuspecting public.
Secondly, pig corralling is the simplest way of minimizing the transmission of pork tapeworm. This method limits the pigs from getting into contact with the human stool. To achieve this, pigs should be raised and fed in a restricted environment. Pig farmers, especially those in rural areas should be encouraged to abandon the free-range system and instead keep their animals in a confined environment.
Also, detecting and treating people infected with pork tapeworm will significantly control the source of the infection. The identification and subsequent treatment of carriers close the focus of the transmission of pork tapeworm (Sato, Sako, Nakao, Wandra, Nakaya, Yanagida, & Ito, 2011). Individuals undergoing medication should be encouraged to observe proper hygiene as well as improving their eating habits to avoid re-infection.
Health education is also a significant step in the prevention of a pork tapeworm epidemic (Tappe et al., 2016). In qualifying these findings, health providers carried out concurrent health educations programs as well as treatment in two different localities. They later found out that health education helped in reducing the epidemic on a larger scale compared to treatment. The significance of health education in the eradication of pork tapeworm should not, therefore, be ruled out.
Pig immunotherapy has also been cited as an essential measure in the control of the epidemic. According to the proponents of this model, pigs ought to be injected with cysticercus antigens which boost their immune response to the cysts. Immunization data, specifically on the vaccines which are issued in two dosages indicates that regular vaccination can reduce the chances of infection.
In addition to that, meat radiation and meat freezing are also possible remedies for this condition. Gamma radiation, for example, can completely cripple the pathogens for pork infection. Similarly, refrigeration also kills not only eggs but also adult worms.
People traveling to areas where the tapeworm infection is prevalent should observe high standards of hygiene (Tappe et al., 2016). For instance, washing their hands with soap and running water will reduce the chances of infection. Similarly, they should wash all the fruits and vegetables before ingesting them. Also, if it is a must they eat meat, it should be well cooked to avoid further infection.
Treatment of the Pork Tapeworm
Treatment of pork tapeworm depends on the effects and the location of the worms. To begin with, Anthelmintic drugs, such as Albendazole shrinks the tapeworm cysts and eventually killing them (Tsai et al., 2013). The doctor is required to undertake a periodic monitoring exercise using X-ray or ultrasound to monitor the effectiveness of the drug. The doctor is supposed to carry out an Anti-inflammatory therapy since the dying tapeworms can lead to the inflammation or swelling in the tissues or organs. Corticosteroid prescriptions such as dexamethasone will help in reducing the inflammation.
Secondly, the infection can be removed through surgery. Surgical intervention is dependent on the symptoms and the location of the worms (Tsai et al., 2013). Cysts in organs such as the eyes, the liver, and the lungs are typically removed through surgery as they threaten the normal functioning of these organs.
Conclusion
In summary, the life cycle of the pork tapeworm disease begins with the egg. The eggs are found in the environment, occasioned by the excretion of contaminated feces. They find themselves in the human body by ingesting food and drinking water that is contaminated. Undercooked meat and failure to wash hands before eating are also the notable causal agents of this infection. It is therefore essential to note that hygiene should be observed if there is a need for eradicating the pork tapeworm infection.
References
Jiang, L., Tong, H., Tan, H., Han, L., & Shi, H. (2014). Intestinal pork tapeworm disease mimicking lymphoma on PET/CT imaging. Clinical nuclear medicine , 39 (9), 842-844.
Sato, M. O., Sako, Y., Nakao, M., Wandra, T., Nakaya, K., Yanagida, T., & Ito, A. (2011). A possible nuclear DNA marker to differentiate the two geographic genotypes of Taenia solium tapeworms. Parasitology international , 60 (1), 108-110.
Tappe, D., Berkholz, J., Mahlke, U., Lobeck, H., Nagel, T., Haeupler, A., ... & Poppert, S. (2016). Molecular identification of zoonotic tissue-invasive tapeworm larvae other than Taenia solium in suspected human cysticercosis cases. Journal of clinical microbiology , 54 (1), 172-174.
Tsai, I. J., Zarowiecki, M., Holroyd, N., Garciarrubio, A., Sanchez-Flores, A., Brooks, K. L., ... & Aslett, M. (2013). The genomes of four tapeworm species reveal adaptations to parasitism. Nature , 496 (7443), 57.
Willms, K. (2008). Morphology and biochemistry of the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium. Current topics in medicinal chemistry , 8 (5), 375-382.
