Beef Tapeworm Disease

BEEF TAPEWORM DISEASE

EPIDEMIOLOGY

In the United States, sanitary disposal of human feces and federal inspection of meat have nearly interrupted transmission of T. saginata. At present, less than 1% of examined car-casses are infected. Nevertheless, bovine cysticercosis is still a significant problem in thesouthwestern area of the country where cattle become infected in feedlots or while pastured on land irrigated with sewage or worked by infected laborers without access to sanitary facil-ities. Shipment of infected carcasses can result in human infection in other areas of the United States. In countries where sanitary facilities are less comprehensive and undercooked or raw beef is eaten, T. saginata is highly prevalent. Examples include Kenya, Ethiopia, the Middle East, Yugoslavia, and parts of the former Soviet Union and South America.