Taenia solium (Pork Tapeworm) • Infection name: Taeniasis (when the adult worm is in the intestine) • More serious form: Cysticercosis (when the larvae migrate to tissues, including the brain) How it spreads: • Eating undercooked pork that contains larval cysts (cysticerci) • Poor hygiene leading to fecal-oral transmission of eggs Symptoms: • Taeniasis: Often mild — nausea, abdominal discomfort, weight loss • Cysticercosis: Seizures, headaches, neurological deficits (if larvae infect the brain —

Have you heard about a worm that can cause epilepsy? Meet Taenia solium — the pig tapeworm that travels from gut to brain, causing seizures and preventable epilepsy in millions. In this episode of Science in 5, Dr Bernadette Abela explains how this parasite spreads when pigs eat human feces and humans consume contaminated food or water — and what we can do to stop it. Learn how cooking meat properly, improving hygiene, and vaccinating pigs can break the cycle. | World Health Organization (WHO)