Pork tapeworm

Pork tapeworm

Symptoms

- Cysts appear as small blisters at the base of the tongue.
- In most cases, no symptoms appear at all.

Pull the tongue out to the side of the mouth and dry it with a clean cloth. Feel the surface of the tongue at the base to check for cysts. This is the only way to confirm if the animal has cysticercosis.

Cause

Tapeworm infestation (cysticercosis) is a condition of cysts in the muscles of pigs caused by the larvae of tapeworm.

Each of the cysts in the tongue or muscle of the animal contains a tapeworm larva. This is the result of a pig eating human feces containing a whole or part of the tapeworm, or the eggs of the tapeworm. The tapeworm eggs are then absorbed into the intestines of the pig and are carried in the blood system. They are then trapped in the muscle of the animal and develop into larvae which then become cysts. Humans get the tapeworm by eating contaminated pork which has not been sufficiently cooked.

Human eats contaminated pork not sufficiently cooked.

Prevention

- Keep the surroundings clean and free from human feces to prevent pigs from eating the feces and becoming infected.

Treatment

- Boil 5-10 fresh young leaves of Spondias pinnata in 1 cup of water for 5-10 minutes. Drench the animal 2-3 times a week with 3-5 ml (I teaspoon) of the liquid for every 10 kg body weight. After 7 days, check if the cysts have disappeared. Repeat the treatment 2-3 times a week until the animal is cured.(Philippines. 1, 2, 3, 4)