give the habitat and economic importance of taenia solium
Answers
Habitat
The pork tapeworm has several different habitats depending on the stage in its life cycle. The preadult tapeworm and adult tapeworm can be found in the small intestine of a human host. The proglottid segments full of eggs are found in the host feces, and in the external environment where the feces are released. Unfortunately, there is an inadequate amount of research that has been conducted on the subject of eggs in the external environment. As a result it is difficult to assess the type of habitat the eggs favor. However, temperature is known to effect egg survival. If the habitat is colder than 10 degrees Celsius or above room temperature, the eggs can easily perish.
The next stage of the tapeworm is the oncosphere, and this stage takes place inside the pig intermediate host. The habitat of the oncosphere is the gut and tissue of the pig host and continues its life stage in the muscle and brain of the pig in the cysticercus stage. The cysticercus form is also capable of surviving in a human host, living in the muscles and the brain.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
There are no positive benefits for humans.
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Taenia solium is one of the most dangerous tapeworms to humans, because humans can act as a definitive and intermediate host. The condition where a human is used as a definitive host for an adult tape worm is called taeniasis. This condition is usually asymptomatic in humans and nonfatal. At times there are a few mild symptoms such as abdominal pain, altered appetite, diarrhea, constipation, hunger pains and weight loss.
The fatal infection for humans is cysticercosis, where the human acts as an intermediate hosts for the cysticerci. This stage can occur through external autoinfection of the host. Although there is no evidence for internal autoinfection, it is a possible way for the human to be infected with the oncosphere. In this condition, the cysticerci can infect any organ in the body and the extent of the symptoms caused by cysticercosis depend largely on the location of infection. The most common areas of infection are subcutaneous connective tissues, the eye and the brain. Infection to subcutaneous connective tissues rarely present symptoms and is nonfatal. Infection to the eye can cause blindness in the host. The most dangerous area of infection is in the central nervous system, termed neurocysticercosis. When cysticerci migrate to the brain they can cause epilepsy, intracranial hypertension and can mimic a brain tumor to the host. The most dangerous stage in cysticercosis is when the cysticercus larva dies. The larva's degeneration can cause an inflammatory response in the body that could be fatal to the host.
All conditions caused by Taenia solium cause huge economic losses for countries affected by this species. It has been estimated that in Mexico alone, $15 million US dollars are spent per year in hospital expenses for neurocysticercosis. This tapeworm also results in severe losses for the meat industry. In Mexico, half of the swine industry is estimated to be lost to porcine cysticercosis and the economic losses are about $43 million per year
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