Cysticercosis

(neurocysticercosis)
BIOL 402
Janki Patel
Cysticercosis is caused by tapeworms!

Tapeworms are gross!

Two different theories explain the
origin of tapeworms.
1) Domestication of animals 10,000 years ago
Two different theories explain the
origin of tapeworms.
2) Scavenging of food 2 million years ago by African
hominids
Three types of tapeworms infect
humans.
Taenia solium
Taenia asiatica
Taenia saginata
Taenia solium causes cysticercosis.

Pigs are intermediate hosts.
Feces intestine blood vessel muscle
Humans are final hosts.
Feces/meat intestine body
A pork tapeworm cycle exists!

The symptoms of cysticercosis are
harsh!


The pork tapeworm can live in an host
for years without being noticed!

Cysticercosis can be diagnosed several
ways.
Travels
Eating
MRI or CT brain scans
Blood tests
Surgery
Treatment depends on each individual
case.
Anti-parasitic drugs
Anti-inflammatory drugs
Surgery
Preventive measures have been taken
against this disease.

Yet, this preventable disease still
infects and kills lots of people in the
world!
California had the highest percentage
of fatal cysticercosis from 1990-2002!

So what do we do now?
S3PVAC vaccine
Health education
Picture Sources
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol3no3/evans.gif
http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/neuroslides/slides/slid
e132.jpg
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may01/worms
0501.htm
http://s2.hubimg.com/u/1704509_f520.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Kcmu1rYI5nE/R_BTAno-
pjI/AAAAAAAAABc/wN72iMJjEv8/S1600-
R/africa_map.gif
http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/LVarticles/images/cattl
e.jpg
Picture Sources
http://www.virginmedia.com/images/tapeworms.jpg
http://www.aps.uoguelph.ca/ANSC*2340/LABS/s140.gi
f
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/images/en
cy/fullsize/19194.jpg
http://www.atlas.or.kr/donation/donation_files/DSCN1
059.jpg
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o/Taenia%20pile.JPG
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025e25.jpg
Picture Sources
http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/13/2/230.htm
http://www.who.int/zoonoses/diseases/approximate%
20global%20distribution%20of%20cysticercosis.jpg
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2
009/02/ga20090212.gif
http://www.marlerblog.com/uploads/image/Cysticerco
sis_LifeCycle.gif
http://www.aans.org/bulletin/images/Vol17_3_08/Ocu
larCysticercosis.jpg
http://garyhaq.wordpress.com/2009/03/19/stressing-
over-water/
Picture Sources
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619/b25843726.jpg
http://www.insidesocal.com/bargain/TravelSui
tcase.jpg
http://img2.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/0304/
eec6749f6646c81b6298.jpeg
http://waterandsanitationhealth.com/

References
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may01/worms0501.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/cysticercosis/factsht_cys
ticercosis.htm
http://www.who.int/zoonoses/neglected_zoonotic_diseases/en/
http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/13/2/230.htm
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119105415/abstract?
CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T0
6-4PB75MD-
3&_user=10&_coverDate=11/15/2007&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig
=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=126997579
8&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersi
on=0&_userid=10&md5=e4da0e9826d825c717f95d2ca978e8c7
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cysticercosis