 |
| Photo from express.co.uk |
Tapeworm infection is caused by ingesting tapeworm eggs or larvae contaminated with food or water. Certain tapeworm eggs can migrate outside your intestines and form larval cysts in body tissues and organs if you consume them (invasive infection). Tapeworm larvae, on the other hand, develop into adult tapeworms in your intestines if you consume them (intestinal infection).
An adult tapeworm is made up of a head, neck, and a chain of segments known as proglottids. When you have an intestinal tapeworm infection, the tapeworm head attaches to the intestinal wall and proglottids grow and lay eggs. Adult tapeworms can live in their host for up to 30 years.
Intestinal tapeworm infections are typically minor, with only one or two adult tapeworms present. Invasive larval infections, on the other hand, can have serious consequences.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF TAPEWORM INFECTION?
Many people who have intestinal tapeworm infection have no symptoms. If you do develop symptoms from the infection, they will be determined by the type of tapeworm and its location. The symptoms of invasive tapeworm infection differ depending on where the larvae have migrated.
Infection of the intestine
The following are signs and symptoms of intestinal infection:
- Pain in the abdomen
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Weakness
- Appetite loss
- Craving for salt
- Weight loss and poor nutrient absorption from food
Invasive infection
Tapeworm larvae that have migrated from your intestines and formed cysts in other tissues can cause organ and tissue damage, resulting in:
- Headaches
- Cystic lumps or masses
- Allergic reactions to larvae
- Seizures are among the neurological signs and symptoms.
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF TAPEWORM INFECTION?
Tapeworm infection begins with the consumption of tapeworm eggs or larvae.
- Egg ingestion: You ingest microscopic tapeworm eggs if you consume food or drink water contaminated with feces from a tapeworm-infected person or animal. A tapeworm-infected dog, for example, will excrete tapeworm eggs, which end up in the soil.
When this soil comes into contact with food or water, it becomes contaminated. When you eat or drink something contaminated, you can become infected.
The eggs hatch into larvae once they reach your intestines. The larvae become mobile at this stage. If they escape from your intestines, they can form cysts in your liver or other tissues.
- Ingestion of larvae cysts found in meat or muscle tissue: Tapeworm larvae are found in muscle tissue of animals with tapeworm infections. When you consume raw or undercooked meat from an infected animal, you consume the larvae, which develop into adult tapeworms in your intestines.
Adult tapeworms can grow to be more than 80 feet (25 meters) long and can live in a host for up to 30 years. Some tapeworms attach to the intestine walls, causing irritation or mild inflammation, while others pass through your stool and exit your body.
WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS FOR TAPEWORM INFECTION?
The following factors may increase your risk of tapeworm infection:
- Consuming raw or undercooked meat: Inadequate cooking may result in the death of tapeworm eggs and larvae found in contaminated pork or beef.
- Living in endemic areas: Exposure to tapeworm eggs is more likely in certain parts of the world. For example, your chances of coming into contact with eggs of the pork tapeworm (Taenia solium) are higher in areas where free-range pigs are more common, such as Latin America, China, Sub-Saharan Africa, or Southeast Asia.
- Poor hygiene: Infrequent washing and bathing raises the risk of contaminated matter accidentally entering your mouth.
- Exposure to livestock: This is particularly problematic in areas where human and animal feces are not properly disposed of.
- Visiting developing countries: Infection rates are higher in areas with poor sanitation practices.
WHAT ARE THE COMPLICATIONS OF TAPEWORM INFECTION?
In most cases, intestinal tapeworm infections do not result in complications. Complications that may arise include:
- Digestive blockage: Tapeworms can block your appendix, causing infection (appendicitis); your bile ducts, which transport bile from your liver and gallbladder to your intestine; or your pancreatic duct, which transports digestive fluids from your pancreas to your intestine if they grow large enough.
- Impairment of the brain and central nervous system: This particularly dangerous complication of invasive pork tapeworm infection, known as neurocysticercosis, can cause headaches and visual impairment, as well as seizures, meningitis, hydrocephalus, or dementia. In severe cases of infection, death can occur.
- Disruption of organ function: Cysts form when larvae migrate to the liver, lungs, or other organs. These cysts grow over time, becoming large enough to crowd the organ's functioning parts or reduce its blood supply. Tapeworm cysts can rupture, releasing more larvae that can move to other organs and form new cysts.
An allergic reaction to a ruptured or leaking cyst can include itching, hives, swelling, and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, surgery or organ transplantation may be required.
HOW IS TAPEWORM INFECTION DIAGNOSED?
Your doctor may use one of the following tests to diagnose a tapeworm infection:
- Stool sample analysis: Your doctor may examine your stool or send samples to a laboratory for testing if you have an intestinal tapeworm infection. A laboratory will examine your feces for eggs or tapeworm segments using microscopic identification techniques.
Due to the irregularity with which the eggs and segments are passed, the lab may need to collect two to three samples over a period of time to detect the parasite. Because eggs are sometimes present at the anus, your doctor may collect them with a piece of transparent adhesive tape pressed to the anus for microscopic identification.
- Blood test: Your doctor may also test your blood for antibodies produced by your body to fight tapeworm infection if you have tissue-invasive infections. Tapworm infestation is indicated by the presence of these antibodies.
- Imaging exam: Imaging tests, such as CT or MRI scans, X-rays, or cyst ultrasounds, may indicate invasive tapeworm infection.
WHAT ARE THE TREATMENTS FOR TAPEWORM INFECTION?
Some tapeworm infections do not require treatment because the tapeworm exits the body on its own. Others are unaware they have it because there are no symptoms. If you are diagnosed with intestinal tapeworm infection, medication will most likely be prescribed to treat it.
Intestinal infection treatments
The most common treatment for tapeworm infection is to take oral tapeworm-toxic medications, such as:
- Praziquantel (Biltricide)
- Albendazole (Albenza)
- Nitazoxanide (Alinia)
The medication your doctor prescribes is determined by the type of tapeworm involved and the location of the infection. Because these drugs target the adult tapeworm rather than the eggs, it is critical to avoid reinfection. After using the restroom and before eating, always wash your hands.
Your doctor will most likely have your stool samples checked at regular intervals after you've finished taking your medication to ensure that your tapeworm infection has cleared. If you receive appropriate treatment for the type of tapeworm causing your infection, your stool will most likely be free of tapeworm eggs, larvae, or proglottids.
Invasive infection treatments
The treatment of an invasive infection is determined by the location and severity of the infection.
- Antihelmintic medications: Some tapeworm cysts can be shrunk with albendazole (Albenza). To ensure that the drug is effective, your doctor may use imaging studies such as ultrasound or X-ray to monitor the cysts on a regular basis.
- Anti-inflammatory treatment: Dying tapeworm cysts can cause swelling or inflammation in tissues or organs, so your doctor may prescribe corticosteroid medication to reduce inflammation, such as prednisone or dexamethasone.
- Anti-epileptic medication: Anti-epileptic medications can stop seizures caused by the disease.
- Shunt placement: One type of invasive infection can result in too much fluid on the brain, a condition known as hydrocephalus. Your doctor may advise you to have a permanent tube (shunt) placed in your head to drain the fluid.
- Surgery: Cysts can be surgically removed depending on their location and symptoms. Cysts that form in the liver, lungs, or eyes are typically removed because they can eventually jeopardize organ function.
As an alternative to surgery, your doctor may recommend a drainage tube. The tube allows for aggressive anti-parasitic solution rinsing (irrigation) of the affected area.
HOW CAN TAPEWORM INFECTION BE PREVENTED?
To avoid tapeworm infection:
- Before eating or handling food, as well as after using the restroom, wash your hands with soap and water.
- To kill tapeworm eggs or larvae, thoroughly cook meat at temperatures of at least 145 F (63 C).
- To kill tapeworm eggs and larvae, freeze meat for seven to ten days and fish for at least 24 hours in a freezer set to -31 F (-35 C).
- Consume no raw or undercooked pork, beef, or fish.
- When visiting areas where tapeworm is more prevalent, wash and cook all fruits and vegetables in safe water before eating. If you think the water is unsafe, boil it for at least a minute and then let it cool before using it.
- Eliminate tapeworm egg exposure in livestock by properly disposing of animal and human feces.
- Treat tapeworm-infected dogs as soon as possible.