Taenia solium, the pork tapeworm, belongs to the cyclophyllid cestode family Taeniidae. It is found throughout the world and is most common in countries ...TaeniasoliumFromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopediaJumptonavigationJumptosearchSpeciesofCestodaThisarticleisaboutthetapeworm.Fortheinfectionbyadultworms,seetaeniasis.Fortheinfectionbytheyoungform,seecysticercosis.TaeniasoliumScolex(head)ofTaeniasoliumScientificclassificationKingdom:AnimaliaPhylum:PlatyhelminthesClass:CestodaOrder:CyclophyllideaFamily:TaeniidaeGenus:TaeniaSpecies:T. soliumBinomialnameTaeniasoliumLinnaeus,1758Taeniasolium,theporktapeworm,belongstothecyclophyllidcestodefamilyTaeniidae.Itisfoundthroughouttheworldandismostcommonincountrieswhereporkiseaten.Itisatapewormwhichhashumansasitsdefinitivehostandoftenpigsasintermediateorsecondaryhost.Itmaybetransmittedtopigsthroughhumanfaecescontaminatingtheirfodder,andbacktohumansthroughconsumptionofuncooked,orunder-cooked,porkthatcontainstapewormcysts.Pigsingesttapewormeggs,whichdevelopintolarvae,thenintooncospheres,andultimatelyintoinfectivetapewormcysts.Aningestedtapewormcystgrowsintoanadultworminhumansmallintestines.Therearetwoformsofhumaninfection.Oneis"primaryhosting",andisduetoeatingunder-cookedporkthatcontainsthecystsandresultsinadultwormsintheintestines.Thisformgenerallyiswithoutsymptoms;theinfectedpersondoesnotknowtheyhavetapeworms.Thisformiseasilytreatedwithmedicationswhicheliminatethetapeworm.Theotherform,"secondaryhosting",isduetoeatingfood,ordrinkingwater,contaminatedwithfaecesfromsomeoneinfectedbytheadultworms,thusingestingthetapewormeggs,insteadofthecysts.Theeggsgoontodevelopcystsprimarilyinthemuscles,andusuallywithnosymptoms.Howeversomepeoplesufferobvioussymptoms,themostharmfulandchronicformofwhichiswhenthecystsforminthebrain.Treatmentofthisformismoredifficultbutpossible.Theadultwormhasaflat,ribbon-likebodywhichiswhiteandmeasures2to3metreslong,ormore.Itstinyattachment,thescolex,containssuckersandarostellumasorgansofattachmentthatattachtothewallofth