<unk>  (synonym<unk> rhynchus<unk> s), commonly known as the beef tapeworm, is a zoonotic tapeworm belonging to the order Cyclophyllidea and genus<unk> . It is an intestinal parasite in humans causing<unk> sis (a type of helminthiasis) and cysticercosis in cattle. Cattle are the intermediate hosts, where larval development occurs, while humans are definitive hosts harbouring the adult worms. It is found globally and most prevalently where cattle are raised and beef is consumed. It is relatively common in Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Latin America. Humans are generally infected as a result of eating raw or undercooked beef which contains the infective larvae, called cysticerci. As hermaphrodites, each body segment called proglottid has complete sets of both male and female reproductive systems. Thus, reproduction is by self-fertilisation. From humans, embryonated eggs, called oncospheres, are released with faeces and are transmitted to cattle through contaminated fodder. Oncospheres develop inside muscle, liver, and lungs of cattle into infective cysticerci.<unk>  has a strong resemblance to the other human tapeworms, such as<unk>  asiatica and<unk>  solium, in structure and biology, except for few details. It is typically larger and longer, with more proglottids, more testes, and higher branching of the uteri. It also lacks an armed scolex unlike other<unk> . Like the other tapeworms, it causes<unk> sis inside the human intestine, but does not cause cysticercosis. Its infection is relatively harmless and clinically asymptomatic.
Taenia saginata
Taenia asiatica
Trichuris trichiura
Taenia solium
Schistosoma mansoni
Ascaris lumbricoides
Schistosoma japonicum
Echinostoma cinetorchis