Login

Explain the life-cycle of Taenia Solium?

Taenia solium belong to family Taenildae, is a pork tapeworm. It is an intestinal zoonotic parasite also found in humans. To complete its life cycle T.solium required two hosts pigs as an intermediate hosts and humans as definitive hosts. 
  • Self fertilization takes place in Taenia. The cirrus (male reproductive organ) inserted into the vagina (female reproductive organ) of the same segment. The egg is fertilised in the oviduct by the sperm which is stored in the seminal receptacle. The encapsulated egg then entered the uterus where it is collected. 
  • The first division of cells started within the uterus and lead to the formation of embryonic cells. The embryonic cells further undergone repeated division and morula, a solid mass of cells formed. 
  • The morula consists of larger cells called macromeres and smaller cells or micromeres. The micromeres developed into oncosphere larva. 
  • The further development takes place inside the hosts.The eggs or the embryonated part of the tapeworm present in contaminated faeces is passed through the environment and is either ingested by the pigs or humans.
  • The embryonated eggs enters into the intestine where they hatched into oncospheres and penetrate the intestinal mucosa to enter blood and lymphatic vessels of the pigs or humans.
  • Moving along the general circulatory system, In pigs these oncospheres developed into cysts form known as cysticerci in muscles as well as in other tissues such as in brain and liver. Whereas humans acts as secondary hosts, they acquire the infection by ingesting raw meat from infected animal host.
  • The organism grow inside the human host and started its life cycle again.

  • 2
View Full Answer
The life cycle of T. solium is represented graphically below. It consists of six main steps:
 

STEP 1. Infected humans (definitive host) excrete the eggs or gravid proglottids in their feces, passing the parasite from the gastrointestinal tract onto nearby vegetation. In egg or gravid proglottid form, T. solium is able to remain viable anywhere from days to months. T. solium can be diagnosed at this point in the life cycle.

Note: Autoinfection can also occur at this point in the life-cycle via fecal-oral contamination. In this case, eggs or gravid proglottids re-enter the body through the mouth and often travel to the central nervous system (CNS), the muscles or the eye, where they develop into cysticerci. The presence of cysticerci in these locations leads to the pathogenesis of cysticercosis (neurocysticercosis in the CNS). [4,5]

STEP 2. Pigs (intermediate host) acquire infection by eating and digesting the eggs or gravid proglottids along with the parasitized vegetation.

STEP 3. The eggs or gravid proglottids migrate to the pig's intestine and as oncospheres, break through the intestinal wall. Then, via the circulatory system, they embed themselves in the muscles of the pig and develop into cysticerci (the infective form of T. solium). Cysticerci have the ability to persist in the muscle for many years.

STEP 4. Humans acquire the infection by eating the undercooked or raw flesh of an infected animal.

STEP 5,6. Cystercerci migrate to the small intestine of the human host and develop into their adult tapeworm form normally within two months. By attaching to the intestinal wall with their scolices (hooked structures), these adult tapeworms may persist for long periods of time, even years.

 

  • 3
wow thats a lot of writing done
  • 0
Thankyou @Shakambhari
  • 0
oncosphere hexacanth bladder worm
  • 0
cysticercus*
  • 0
What are you looking for?