Thysanosoma actinoides

Thys·a·no·so·ma ac·ti·noi·des

(this'ă-nō-sō'mă ak'ti-noy'dēz), Fringed tapeworm of sheep, a relatively short, thick worm (family Anocephalidae) in which the posterior borders of the proglottids are fringed. It inhabits the small intestine, but often invades the bile ducts and causes many livers to be condemned for human food. It is essentially nonpathogenic and is common in stock-raising countries, where it infects a wide variety of ruminants; oribatid mites are probably the vectors.