Question

......... is human tapeworm whose larval form encysts in the tissues of cattle and eating such under cooked meat causes illness in human beings.

• A. Taenia sagita
• B. Toxoplasma gondii
• C. Belatidium coli
• D. Trichinella spiralis

Hint:

Remember the tapeworm-host associations:
- Taenia sagita \(\rightarrow\) Beef tapeworm (Cattle intermediate host).
- Taenia solium \(\rightarrow\) Pork tapeworm (Pigs intermediate host).
Freezing beef at \(-10^\circ\text{C}\) for several days or cooking it to an interl temperature of at least \(63^\circ\text{C}\) effectively destroys the cysticerci.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Foodborne parasites can be transmitted to humans through the consumption of raw or undercooked meat.
These parasites often utilize a multi-host life cycle, alterting between an intermediate host (where the larval stage encysts in muscle tissues) and a definitive host (where the adult worm reproduces).

Step 2: Detailed Explation:
Let us review the biological characteristics of the given parasites:
• Taenia sagita: This is the beef tapeworm. Humans serve as the definitive host, harboring the adult tapeworm in the small intestine. Cattle serve as the intermediate host, ingesting eggs from contamited pastures. The eggs hatch into oncospheres, which migrate and develop into infective larvae called Cysticercus bovis (measly beef) in beef muscle. Consuming raw or undercooked beef containing these live cysticerci causes taeniasis in humans.

• Trichinella spiralis: This is a roundworm that causes trichinellosis, typically transmitted by consuming undercooked pork or wild game, not beef.

• Toxoplasma gondii: This is a protozoan parasite, with felines serving as the definitive host, and is not a tapeworm.
Thus, Taenia sagita is the correct answer.

Step 3: Fil Answer:
The correct option is (A).