COMPENDIUM ON FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE - Flipbook - Page 267
○ Handling soil contaminated with human feces
● A. duodenale can also be transmitted through:
○ Oral ingestion of larvae
○ Possibly through mother's milk (rare)
Clinical Significance: Cause hookworm disease characterized by
iron-deficiency anemia, protein loss, and potential developmental
delays in children.
Unique Features: Attach to intestinal mucosa with cutting plates or
teeth and feed on blood, causing chronic blood loss.
Cestodes (Tapeworms)
Taenia saginata (Beef Tapeworm) and Taenia solium (Pork
Tapeworm)
Prevalence: T. saginata is more common globally; T. solium poses
greater health risks through cysticercosis [15].
Transmission Mechanisms:
● T. saginata: Ingestion of viable cysticerci in undercooked
beef
● T. solium:
○ Intestinal infection: Ingestion of viable cysticerci in
undercooked pork
○ Cysticercosis: Ingestion of T. solium eggs through
fecal-oral contamination from a human carrier (not
from pork)
Clinical Significance: Adult worm infections often cause mild
symptoms; T. solium can cause cysticercosis when humans
accidentally ingest eggs.
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