Introduction
Beef Taeniasis is a parasitic infection by beef tapeworm called Taenia Saginata
-it is prevalent in Latin America, Eastern Europe, Africa and Russia
-Humans become infected when they eat raw or undercooked beef (“measly beef”)
-Taenia saginata inhabits the human jejunum, grow to a maximum length of 10 m
-After ingestion, larvae attach to the gut wall and become adult worms with gravid proglottids.
-Terminal proglottids pass in the feces and are eaten by cattle
Symptoms & Signs
-Most persons infected with beef tapeworm are asymptomatic
-Nausea, vomiting, headache, pruritus, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation and intestinal obstruction
– In contrast to Taenia solium, cysticercosis does not occur
Diagnosis
-Adhesive cellophane tape technique can detect eggs
-Gravid proglottids visible in stool or appear in the underclothing or bedsheets of infected patients
-Adult worm examination: Scolex has four suckers but no hooks
Treatment
The drug of choice is praziquantel