What Is Cysticercosis?
3. What Causes Cysticercosis?
The cause of cysticercosis is typically either through the ingestion of pork that originated from a pig that is infected with a tapeworm or by accidental ingestion of fecal matter due to poor sanitation and hygiene. Infection with this condition occurs in a cyclical manner and passes through pigs as an intermediary. A human can become infected with a tapeworm by either eating food or drinking water that contains tapeworm eggs. Some individuals also contract tapeworms by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching the mouth.
An adult tapeworm living in the gastrointestinal tract of a human lays eggs that are eliminated in feces. In poor sanitary conditions, pigs ingest these eggs due to exposure to stool. While in the pig’s system, the eggs hatch into larvae that then travel to the muscles of the pig. Humans then slaughter and eat the infected pig, allowing the larvae access to the human gastrointestinal tract, where they grow into adult tapeworms. This is how tapeworms are able to continually cycle.
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