SkipdirectlytositecontentSkipdirectlytopageoptionsSkipdirectlytoA-ZlinkParasites-TaeniasisSectionNavigationCDCHomeFacebookTwitterLinkedInSyndicateDiseaseEspañol(Spanish)MinusRelatedPagesHumantaeniasisisaparasiticinfectioncausedbythreetapewormspecies,T.saginata(knownasthebeeftapeworm),T.solium(porktapeworm),andT.asiatica(theAsiantapeworm).HumansaretheonlyhostsfortheseTaeniatapeworms.Humanspassthetapewormsegmentsand/oreggsinfecesandcontaminatethesoilinareaswheresanitationispoor.Taeniaeggscansurviveinamoistenvironmentandremaininfectivefordaystomonths.CowsandpigsbecomeinfectedafterfeedinginareasthatarecontaminatedwithTaeniaeggsfromhumanfeces.Onceinsidethecoworpig,theTaeniaeggshatchintheanimal’sintestineandmigratetostriatedmuscletodevelopintocysticerci,causingadiseaseknownascysticercosis.Cysticercicansurviveforseveralyearsinanimalmuscle.Humansbecomeinfectedwithtapewormswhentheyeatraworundercookedbeeforporkcontaininginfectivecysticerci.Onceinsidehumans,Taeniacysticercimigratetothesmallintestineandmaturetoadulttapeworms,whichproducesegmentsandeggsthatarepassedinfeces.SymptomsMostpeoplewithtapeworminfectionshavenosymptomsormildsymptoms.PatientswithT.saginatataeniasisoftenexperiencemoresymptomsthatthosewithT.soliumbecausetheT.saginatatapewormislargerinsize(upto10meters(m))thanT.solium(usually3m).Tapewormscancausedigestiveproblemsincludingabdominalpain,lossofappetite,weightloss,andupsetstomach.Themostvisiblesymptomoftaeniasisistheactivepassingofproglottids(tapewormsegments)throughtheanusandinthefeces.Inrarecases,tapewormsegmentsbecomelodgedintheappendix,orthebileandpancreaticducts.InfectionwithT.soliumtapewormscanresultinhumancysticercosis,whichcanbeaveryseriousdiseasethatcancauseseizuresandmuscleoreyedamage.Moreon:cysticercosisTaeniasaginatadoesnotcausecysticercosisinhumans.ItisnotclearifT.asiaticacausescysticercosisinhumansornot.Pagelastreviewed:January10,2013Contentsource:GlobalHealth,DivisionofParasiticDiseasesandMalariahomeTaeniasisAboutTaeniasisEpidemiology&RiskFactorsB