Although many species exist, two species, Taenia saginata and Taenia solium, ... Life cycle differences include possible autoinfection route in T. solium, ...Taeniasis Classification HistoryClinicalPresentationTransmissionReservoir/Vector/IncubationPeriodMorphologyLifeCycleDiagnosticTestsManagementandTherapyEpidemiologyCountryInformationPublicHealthandPreventionStrategies  Taeniasisisatapeworm(cestode)infectionacquiredbytheingestionofraworundercookedmeatofinfectedanimals. Althoughmanyspeciesexist,twospecies,TaeniasaginataandTaeniasolium,causepathologyinhumans. T.saginataisassociatedwiththeingestionoftheworm'slarvalformfoundininfectedbeefwhileT.soliumisassociatedwiththatofinfectedpork.         T.saginataisalsocommonlyknownasbeeftapeworm. T.soliumissimilarlyreferredtoasporktapeworm. Bothspeciesareworldwideindistribution--approximately100millioncasesofinfectionworld-wideannually. Approximately50millioncasesofthesecasesareT.saginatawhiletheother50millionareT.solium related.IncidenceofinfectionofT.soliumisalsobasedonotherfactorssuchasreligiousinhibitionsoneatingpork,inspectionofporkbeforedistributionforhumanconsumption,andhighdegreesofsanitationwhichlimitsexposureoftheintermediatehosts(suchaspigsandcattle)tohumanfeces. ClassificationKingdom:AnimaliaPhylum:PlatyhelminthesClass:CestodesOrder:CyclophyllideaFamily:TaeniidaeGenus:TaeniaSpecies:saginata/solium OthermembersofTaeniathatexistbuthumansaredeadendhostsinclude:T.taeniformisT.bremneri(Syn.T.confusa)T.africanusT.multicepsT.serialisT.glomerulatusTop HistoryofDiscoveryResearchersbelievethatabout2millionyearsago,Africanhominids(ourearlyancestors),whoscavengedforfoodorpreyedonantelopeandotherbovids,wereexposedtotapewormcolonization. Thesewormswereusinghyenaandlargecatsasdefinitivehostsandbovidsasintermediatehosts.Thisoccurredbeforetheoriginofmodernhumansandsubstantiallyearlierthanthedomesticationofswineandcattleandthedevelopmentofagriculture. Theconclusionwasinferredfromanexaminationofhostandparasitesevolutionaryhistoriesa