How many people in the United States get tapeworm each year?
What you should know about: Taeniasis What is taeniasis? Taeniasis is an infection of the digestive tract by adult tapeworms. People can get the infection from b eef, which generally carries the tapeworm Taenia saginata, or pigs, which carry Taenia solium. What are the symptoms of taeniasis? What does taeniasis cause? Most cases are have no symptoms and in many cases patients become aware of the infection by noting proglottids (segments of tapeworm) in stools or mobile Taenia saginata proglottids emerging from the anus. If they occur, symptoms are mild and non-specific and include abdominal pain, digestive disorders, excessive appetite or loss of appetite, weakness and loss of weight. How is taeniasis spread? How do people get taeniasis? Taeniasis results from eating raw or undercooked pork or beef contaminated with the larval stage of the pork or beef tapeworm. The larvae from the infected meat develop in the human intestine into adult tapeworms. The proglottids of the tapeworm mature
