Cysticercosis is a parasitic disease that has severe public health implications and affects the quality of life of people in areas where it is endemic. In pigs, the intermediate host, it is caused by ingesting eggs (ova) of Taenia solium, the pork tapeworm (cestode), shed in the feces of an infected human, the definitive host.
Veterinarians and veterinary para-professionals play key roles in mitigating and eliminating the public health risks of Taenia solium (T. solium) and Echinococcus granulosus infections by way of improving public education, surveillance, improved sanitary practices, and advocacy. In regions where these diseases are endemic, veterinarians play a particularly critical role in community engagement, treatment of host animals and public health initiatives.