Life
WORLD | Oct 24, 2025

WHO’s Science in 5: Pig Tapeworm—from gut to brain

/ Our Today

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Dr Bernadette Abela, right.

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 faeces 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.

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