Comprehensive Review of Key Taenia Species and Taeniosis/Cysticercosis Disease in Animals and Humans
This manuscript provides a comprehensive review of the Taenia genus, encompassing 44 reported species, and their impact on domestic and wild animals as well as humans. The review focuses on 10 important Taenia species and covers various aspects including their description, life cycle, epidemiology, clinical signs of taeniosis and cysticercosis, diagnosis, treatment, control, and prevention. While humans primarily serve as the definitive hosts for Taenia asiatica, T. saginata, and T. solium, they can also become intermediate/accidental hosts for larval forms (metacestodes) of Taenia crassiceps, T. multiceps, T. serialis, T. solium, and Taeniaeformis. These larval forms can cause a range of pathologies in the brain, liver, muscle, eye, and subcutaneous tissue. Human cysticercosis, particularly from T. solium, results in significant hospital treatment costs, loss of productivity, and even death.
