Taenia saginata (beef tapeworm) infection

[Magaret]

Infection with the beef tapeworm, Taenia saginata, may cause mild gastrointestinal upset or passage of a motile segment in the stool. It is treated with praziquantel .
Cattle are intermediate hosts for T. saginata. Humans are infected by

Eating cysticerci (larval form) in raw or undercooked beef

The larvae mature in about 2 months to adult worms that can live for several years; usually, only 1 or 2 adult worms are present. Adult T. saginata tapeworms are usually 4 to 12 meters in length, but can be as long as 25 meters.
T. saginata infection occurs worldwide but especially in cattle-raising regions of the tropics and subtropics in Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Mexico, and South America. Infection is uncommon in US cattle and is monitored by federal inspection.
Patients may be asymptomatic or have mild digestive symptoms including epigastric discomfort, nausea, flatulence, diarrhea, or hunger pains. Passage of a motile segment (proglottid) often brings an otherwise asymptomatic patient to medical attention.