Taenia saginata, or the beef tapeworm, infects humans who consume undercooked beef containing the parasite's larval cysticerci stage. In humans, the tapeworm lives attached to the small intestine and can grow to 10-25 meters in length. Transmission occurs when people ingest the parasite's eggs from contaminated food, water, or soil. The lifecycle involves cattle becoming infected by eating grass contaminated with T. saginata eggs excreted by humans. The infection is usually asymptomatic but can cause mild digestive symptoms. Diagnosis involves finding the parasite's proglottid segments or eggs in stool samples. Treatment is with praziquantel or niclosamide medication. Control relies on proper

1. PRESENTED BY
Mrs.J.JEBA.,M.Sc.,M.Phil.,
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR,
ANNASAMY RAJAMMAL COLLEGE OF NURSING,
ATHIYOOTHU

2. INTRODUCTION
Taenia saginata, commonly known as the beef tapeworm, is a
zoonotic tapeworm belonging to the order Cyclophyllidea and
genus Taenia.
 It is an intestinal parasite in humans causing taeniasis and
cysticercosis in cattle.

3. Cattle are intermediate hosts for T. saginata. Humans are infected
by
Eating cysticerci (larval form) in raw or undercooked beef
The larvae mature in about 2 months to adult worms that can live
for several years; usually, only 1 or 2 adult worms are present.
Adult T. saginata tapeworms are usually 4 to 12 meters in length,
but can be as long as 25 meters.
T. saginata infection occurs worldwide

4. GENERAL FEATURES
Can be 10 meters long though usually 2-5 meters
1000-2000 proglottids (1 cm long) with 1/3 – 1/2 being gravid
Proglottids have 15-20 lateral branches from the uterus and a
lateral genital pore
 Scolex has 4 suckers with a slight apical depression and no
hooklets

6. Transmission
Eating of inadequately cooked beef
Inadequate meat regulation
Use of raw human sewage for fertilizer
Inadequate human fecal sanitation

7. Life Cycle
Prepatent period – 10-12 weeks
Patent period - decades

8. Disease Characteristics
Generally asymptomatic
Diarrhea and abdominal cramps toward the end of the prepatent
period (10-12 weeks)
Rare – intestinal obstruction with a mass of entangled worms

9. Patients may be asymptomatic or have mild digestive symptoms
including epigastric discomfort, nausea, flatulence, diarrhea, or
hunger pains.
Passage of a motile segment (proglottid) often brings an
otherwise asymptomatic patient to medical attention

11. Life Cycle
Infected meat eaten by man
Cysticercus digested out of infected tissue
Scolex exvaginates and attaches to small intestine
Gravid proglottid segments found in feces
Eggs extruded
Infectious for 2-6 months
Eggs or proglottids eaten by cattle
Eggs hatch in duodenum
Embryo passes to tissue via mesenteric venules or lymphatics
Cysticerus stage develops in muscle (infectious for 1 year)
10-12 weeks

12. Diagnosis
Proglottids in the stool
Eggs in the stool
Scotch tape test for eggs on the perineum
Fecal concentration techniques (Kato thick smear, Formyl
ether)
Taenia antigens in the stool

13. Infection
Microscopic examination of stool for ova and proglottids
The stool should be examined for proglottids and ova; ova may
also be present on anal swabs.
The ova of T. saginata are indistinguishable from those of T.
solium (pork tapeworm) and T. asiatica, as are the clinical
features and management of intestinal infections due to these 3
tapeworms

14. Infection
Praziquantel
Alternatively, niclosamide
Treatment of T. saginata infection is with a single oral dose
of praziquantel 5 or 10 mg/kg.
Alternatively, a single 2-g dose of niclosamide (not available in
the US) is given as 4 tablets (500 mg each) that are chewed one
at a time and swallowed with a small amount of water. For
children, the dose of niclosamide is 50 mg/kg (maximum dose 2
g) once.
Treatment can be considered successful when no Taenia ova are
identified in stool 1 and 3 months after treatment

15. Control Measures
Sanitary disposal of human feces
Adequate meat inspection
Cooking beef to >65C or freezing at -20C for 24 hours
Stool examination of food handlers from endemic countries
Avoid eating uncooked vegetables and fruits that cannot be
peeled while traveling in developing countries