What is cysticercosis of pigs

Unfortunately, in our time it has long been impossible to surprise anyone with epidemics in the ranks of animals raised for human consumption. Cysticercosis or, in other words, Finnoz, which is most often diagnosed in pigs, is a complex and dangerous disease that has negative consequences even for people.

What kind of disease and what is dangerous

Cysticercosis disease is an active lesion of pigs and other livestock by the most common pathogen Finn - the larva of an armed chain that penetrates into the brain and muscles of animals at a fairly rapid pace, and then finds more profitable hosts for itself, in this case man.

This problem occurs in almost all regions, somewhere more, somewhere less, and is completely independent of the environmental performance of the area.

Often finnoz is manifested in areas of the central Non-Chernozem zone, where it causes enormous damage to pig breeding in general - the rejected diseased carcasses and the poor quality of pork meat, to which the method of capital disinfection was applied.

Medical specialists consider this disease to be one of the most dangerous parasitic lesions, since it is rather difficult to diagnose and cure it in a person. The danger of cysticercosis is precisely in the asymptomatic course of the early stages, so the patient turns to medical care for quite severe and complicated conditions associated with severe damage to internal organs when positive predictions for further treatment are almost impossible.

Causative agent

As already mentioned, the causative agent of finnoza is a pork tapeworm (tapeworm), in which the strobilus reaches a length of up to 3 m and consists of 900 segments, and the scolex has double-row hooks, varying from 22 to 32 pieces.

Genital openings incorrectly alternate, and the hermaphroditic appearance of the segments is often wider than longer. Finns (cysticercus) in the body of a pig look like a small vial of fluid that contains a head inside.

Life cycle

The armed form of the chainsaw initially develops on intermediate hosts (pigs or other animals), but its final owner is a person who becomes infected with cysticercosis by eating raw or poorly processed pork meat.

When it enters the human intestine, the membrane enveloping the cysticercus dissolves, and then the parasite is fixed on the mucous organ with its hooked suction cups, where it then begins to grow and develop rapidly (full maturation occurs within three months). Fully mature segments that contain eggs are already able to get into the external environment with human feces, where domestic pigs, by eating feces, again inhabit the parasites in their bodies.

The shell of eggs trapped in the pork digestive tract, when exposed to gastric juice, dissolves and thus gives the embryo of the chain with the help of six hooks to penetrate mucous systems, blood vessels, brain and many other tissues of the animal organism.

Further, within a four-month period, the embryo develops into a 10-mm cysticercus, which has four suckers and a crown with hooks in the amount of from 22 to 28.

Pathogenesis

The pathogenic effect of the parasite manifests itself in the swine body in the early stages of the disease, when the larvae migrate from the intestinal tract to other systems and tissues, resulting in extensive intoxication (with organ injury) and allergic reactions due to the breakdown of waste products and the oncospheres of the chain.

Clinical signs

Symptoms of this invasive lesion in pigs practically do not show up at all, and finnoz passes without any clinical disorders. Thus, the animal can be a carrier of cysticerci throughout its life.

An exception may be an extremely complicated form of cysticercosis, when the anemia may develop anemia, edema, a convulsive state, and even death (with intensive heart damage).

Pathological changes

Pathoanatomical negative changes in the organs of pork carcasses can be identified only posthumously, after slaughter. As a rule, atrophy and dystrophy of muscle fibers are observed in the areas affected by cysticercus, and parasites can also be found in the masticatory muscles.

Diagnosis

So how do you identify dangerous for human health finnoznoe meat and make a clear diagnosis? Professional veterinary specialists can help in this difficult task, who will carry out a thorough examination of the animal’s carcass, mainly by an allergic or serological method of examination or by fluoroscopy.

Is treatment possible

Nowadays, various medicinal technologies have reached considerable heights, however, in the field of treatment of pig cysticercosis, progress is not so significant, and it is impossible to cure a sick animal.

Prevention

Certain veterinary and sanitary measures are carried out by both veterinary and medical specialists to prevent finnoza. Actions of veterinary workers:

• timely and mandatory veterinary examination of all post-slaughter carcasses at various enterprises;
• a ban on the illegal slaughter of cattle and the sale of meat products not examined by experts (in the markets, with hands);
• at the slightest detection of parasites in cuts (more than three), the entire pig carcass must undergo urgent manipulation of disinfection;
• when observed in sections of the body of the animal more than three larvae, the whole carcass along with the viscera indulges in full technical utilization;
• timely and strict veterinary and technical control over the sanitary condition of all farms and households;
• control of the assignment of tags to slaughtered pigs.

The actions of medical professionals:

• preventive deworming of farm staff and pigsty;
• timely education of the population about the danger of the disease, the dissemination of information relating to the questions about the correct choice of high-quality meat products;
• distribution of information about the dangers of raw meat (pork and beef).

In any case, in order not to risk your health, the health of your loved ones and the livestock you grow, try to prevent any kind of disease in time by complying with all the recommended sanitary requirements and rules.