II. Pathophysiology
- Beef Tapeworm (Taenia Saginata)
- Tapeworms (Cestodes) are Flatworms and lack their own intestinal tract
- Must obtain digested molecules from their environment (in this case from intestinal tract)
- Tapeworms are hermaphrodites, having both male and female organs within the same worm
- Single worm can produce fertilized eggs
- Tapeworms (Cestodes) are long and flat
- Tapeworms (Cestodes) are Flatworms and lack their own intestinal tract
- LIKE Pork Tapeworm, humans become infected via undercooked beef with larval cysts
- Beef Tapeworm infection is often asymptomatic, but weight loss and Malnutrition may occur
- Beef Tapeworm attaches to the human intestinal tract and matures to a long adult (up to 10 meters)
- Adult Tapeworm sheds egg bundles within gravid proglottids (worm segments)
- Proglottids are passed into human stool
- Proglottids and eggs may be found in human stool (under stool sample microscopy)
- UNLIKE Pork Tapeworm, humans do NOT develop Cysticercosis from Beef Tapeworm egg ingestion
- Cysticercosis is in contrast a result of fecal-oral ingestion of food contaminated with Pork Tapeworm eggs
III. Labs
- Fecal Exam under light microscopy
- Proglottids and eggs may be identified
- Other labs to consider
- Hemoglobin
- Serum Vitamin B12
IV. Management
- Personal hygiene
- Tapeworm eggs are infectious!
- Practice good hygiene and Hand Washing before, during and after treatment
-
Praziquantel
- Dose: 5-10 mg/kg orally for 1 dose
- FDA approved for use in age >4 years, but has been used off-label for children age >=6 months
- Repeat fecal microscopy at 1 and 3 months after treatment to confirm resolution
V. References
- Freedman (2024) Sanford Guide, Accessed on IOS 8/6/2025
- Gladwin, Trattler and Mahan (2014) Clinical Microbiology, Medmaster, Fl, p. 371