Veterinary plus

The term taeniasis refers to intestinal infection with tapeworms. Three parasite species cause taeniasis in humans, Taenia solium, Taenia saginata and Taenia asiatica. Only T. solium causes major health problems.
T. solium taeniasis is acquired by humans through the ingestion of the parasite's larval cysts (cysticerci) in undercooked and infected pork.
Human tapeworm carriers excrete tapeworm eggs in their faeces and contaminate the environment when they defecate in open areas.
Humans can also become infected with T. solium eggs due to poor hygiene (via the fecal-oral route) or ingesting contaminated food or water.
Ingested T. solium eggs develop to larvae (called cysticerci) in various organs of the human body. When they enter the central nervous system, they can cause neurological symptoms (neurocysticercosis), including epileptic seizures.
T. solium is the cause of 30% of epilepsy cases in many endemic areas where people and roaming pigs live in close proximity. In high-risk communities it can be associated with as many as 70% of epilepsy cases.
More than 80% of the world's 50 million people who are affected by epilepsy live in low and lower-middle income countries.