Taenia asiatica (asian tapeworm) infection

[Sommer]

Infection with the Asian tapeworm, Taenia asiatica, is limited to Asia. It is very similar to infection with T. saginata, but the primary animal reservoir is pigs rather than cattle.
The morphology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and management of intestinal infection with the adult T. asiatica tapeworm are similar to those for infections with T. saginata (beef tapeworm), but infection is acquired by eating pork, not beef. Adult T. asiatica range in size from 4 to 8 meters.
Infection with T. asiatica is limited to Asia and occurs mostly in China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, India, and adjacent countries.
Pigs are the intermediate hosts for T. asiatica. Humans are infected by eating cysticerci (larvae) in raw or undercooked pork. After ingestion, the cysticerci mature into adult worms in the small intestine of humans.
Whether T. asiatica can cause cysticercosis in humans is not clear. Cysticercosis is infection with larvae, which develops after ingestion of ova excreted in human feces.