SkipdirectlytositecontentSkipdirectlytopageoptionsSkipdirectlytoA-ZlinkParasites-CysticercosisSectionNavigationCDCHomeFacebookTwitterLinkedInSyndicateCysticercosisFAQsSpanishMinusRelatedPagesOnThisPageWhatiscysticercosis?Whereiscysticercosisfound?Whatistherelationshipbetweenhumantapewormandporcinecysticercosis?HowcanIgetcysticercosis?Whatarethesignsandsymptomsofcysticercosis?HowlongwillIbeinfectedbeforesymptomsbegin?WhatshouldIdoifIthinkIhavecysticercosis?Istheretreatmentforcysticercosis?Ihavebeendiagnosedwithneurocysticercosis.Myhealthcareproviderhasdecidednottotreatme.Howwasthisdecisionmade?Caninfectionbespreadfrompersontoperson?ShouldIbetestedforanintestinaltapeworminfection?HowcanIpreventcysticercosisandotherdiseasecausinggerms?Whatiscysticercosis?CysticercosisisaninfectioncausedbythelarvaeoftheparasiteTaeniasolium. Thisinfectionoccursafterapersonswallowstapewormeggs.Thelarvaegetintotissuessuchasmuscleandbrain,andformcyststhere(thesearecalledcysticerci).Whencystsarefoundinthebrain,theconditioniscalledneurocysticercosis.BackToTop Howdohumansgetcysticercosis?PeoplegetcysticercosiswhentheyswallowT.soliumeggsthatarepassedinthefecesofahumanwithatapeworm.Tapewormeggsarespreadthroughfood,water,orsurfacescontaminatedwithfeces. Humansswallowtheeggswhentheyeatcontaminatedfoodorputcontaminatedfingersintheirmouth. Importantly,someonewithatapewormcaninfecthim-orherselfwithtapewormeggs(thisiscalledautoinfection),andcaninfectothersinthefamily.Eatingporkcannotgiveyoucysticercosis.BackToTopWhatistherelationshipbetweenhumantapewormandporcine(pig)cysticercosis?HumansgetthetapeworminfectionaftereatingraworundercookedporkcontaminatedwithcystsofT.solium.Whenswallowedthecystspassthroughthestomachandattachtotheliningofthesmallintestine. Inthesmallintestinethecystsdevelopintoadulttapewormsoverabouttwomonths.BackToTopWhereiscysticercosisfound?Cysticercosisisfoundworldwide.Infectionisfoundmostofteninruralareasofdevelopingcountrieswherepigsareallowedtoroamfreelyandeathumanfecesandwherehygi