Tapeworms

Overview The tapeworm head attaches to the intestines of its host. The body grows in segments from the neck. What is a tapeworm? A tapeworm is a flat, parasitic worm that lives in the intestines of an animal host. It commonly infects many different animals, including humans, livestock and domestic cats and dogs (usually meat-eating mammals.) Like other parasites, the mature tapeworm can only survive inside the host animal, feeding off of the host’s own nutrients. The head attaches to the inside of your intestines and absorbs nutrients from the food digesting there. Meanwhile, the body continues to grow and lay eggs. The eggs pass through the intestines of the host animal and out of their body in their poop. This is how the eggs will find their new host. What do tapeworms look like? The tapeworm gets its name from its flat shape, resembling a tape measuring ribbon. The body grows in segments. The tapeworm has three distinct parts: a head, which attaches to the host, an unsegmented neck, where new body segments generate from, and the segmented lower body. Each body segment produces its own eggs. In some species, the segments break off with the eggs to pass through the intestines of the host in their poop. The segments look like little grains of white rice. Segments in poop are often the first visible sign of a tapeworm infection. What is a tapeworm infection? Tapeworm infection comes in two forms: Intestinal tapeworms Intestinal tapeworms are adult tapeworms that have hatche...

Eating undercooked meat from infected animals is the main cause of tapeworm infection in people. Although tapeworms in humans usually cause few symptoms and are easily treated, they can sometimes cause serious, life-threatening problems. That's why it's important to recognize the symptoms and know how to protect yourself and your family. Tapeworm Causes Six types of tapeworms are known to infect people. They are usually identified by the animals they come from -- for example, Taenia saginata from beef, Taenia solium from pork, and Diphyllobothrium latum from fish. Tapeworms have a three-stage lifecycle: egg, an immature stage called a larva, and an adult stage at which the worm can produce more eggs. Because larvae can get into the muscles of their hosts, infection can occur when you eat raw or undercooked meat from an infected animal. It is also possible to contract pork tapeworms from foods prepared by an infected person. Because tapeworm eggs are passed with Tapeworm Symptoms Sometimes tapeworms cause symptoms such as: • • Weakness • • • • • Weight loss • Vitamin and mineral deficiencies However, often tapeworms don't cause symptoms. The only sign of tapeworm infection may be segments of the worms, possibly moving, in a bowel movement. In rare cases, tapeworms can lead to serious complications, including blocking the intestine, or smaller ducts in the intestine (like the bile duct or pancreatic duct). If pork tapeworm larvae move out of the intestine, they can migrate t...

When tapeworm eggs get into your body, they can move to other places outside your intestines, like tissues and organs, and form larval cysts. This is called an invasive infection. If they enter your digestive tract as larvae, they turn into adult tapeworms in your intestines. This is called an intestinal infection. IMAGES PROVIDED BY: 1) PALMIHELP / Getty Images, Biophoto Associates / Science Source 2) Rawpixel / Getty Images 3) Eye of Science / Science Source 4) James H. Robinson / Science Source 5) verdateo / Getty Images 6) fizkes / Getty Images 7) James King-Holmes / Science Source 8) wutwhanfoto / Getty Images 9) Tetra Images / Getty Images 10) gorodenkoff / Getty Images 11) Meghan Bennett / Getty Images 12) Steve Gschmeissner / Science Source SOURCES: Merck Manual: “Tapeworm Infection.” CDC: “Cysticercosis,” “Parasites -- Taeniasis,” “Taeniasis FAQs.” Mayo Clinic: “Tapeworm Infection.”

Animal Factoids Most tapeworms are i.e., functional reproductive organs of both sexes occur in the same individual). They are usually self-fertilizing, and gonads of both sexes also occur within a single proglottid. The Taenia solium, or Taeniarhynchus solium), found wherever raw pork is eaten, lives in the human intestine in its adult stage. Each proglottid, following fertilization, may contain as many as 40,000 embryos encased in separate capsules. If the embryos, which pass out with the host’s feces, are eaten by a mammal such as a dog, camel, pig, monkey, or The life cycle of the Taenia saginata, or Taeniarhynchus saginatis), which occurs worldwide where beef is eaten raw or improperly cooked, is much like that of the pork tapeworm. Man is the definitive host; cattle serve as the intermediate host. The Dibothriocephalus latus, or Diphyllobothrium latum), most common in waters of the Northern Hemisphere, infests humans and other mammals that eat fish, particularly bears and dogs. Fertilized eggs pass from the host’s body in the feces. In a water medium they develop into a hairlike larva and are eaten by tiny crustaceans, which, in turn, are eaten by a fish. In the fish, the tapeworm larva encysts in muscle tissue. When the fish is eaten by a mammal, the larva attaches to the mammalian intestine and develops into a mature adult. Fish hosts of this tapeworm include trout, salmon, This article was most recently revised and updated by

Intestinal worms are organisms that feed off the human body. Tapeworm, hookworm, pinworm, and other types of worm all enter the body and affect it in different ways. Treatment can get rid of all types of worm. Types of intestinal worms include Ascaris, which causes Trichinella, which causes Other common parasites are Giardia lamblia, which causes Entamoeba histolytica, which causes Intestinal worms can cause many symptoms, and some of these resemble the symptoms of other This article looks at different types of intestinal worms, the symptoms they cause, who is at risk, and the treatment available. Worms can enter the body in various ways, depending on the type. Sanitation problems often play a role, but intestinal worms can happen anywhere. Enterobius vermicularis and the hookworms Necator americanus ( N. americanus) and Ancylostoma duodenale ( A. duodenale). Factors that increase the risk of • having a weakened • living in a • having a low income • having no access to potable water • being unable to read, which can affect health and safety awareness Pinworms, the Pregnancy does not increase the risk of getting intestinal worms, but some antiparasitic medications may not be safe during this time. This may increase the risk of complications. A doctor can advise on a suitable approach if a person has worms during pregnancy. Various types of intestinal worms can affect people. Below, we look at some of them. Tapeworm A tapeworm is a type of flatworm that lives in the There ar...

Tapeworms are intestinal parasites that are shaped similarly to a tape measure. Tapeworm eggs typically enter a human host from animals through food, particularly raw or undercooked meat. A tapeworm cannot live freely on its own. It survives within the gut of animals, including humans. Humans can also contract tapeworms if they have contact with animal feces or contaminated water. When an infection passes from an animal to a human, it is called zoonosis. Anyone who has a tapeworm will need medical treatment to get rid of it. Treatment is about Share on Pinterest The Taenia solium (pork tapeworm). Most people who develop tapeworms do so after ingesting tapeworm eggs or larvae. The Ingestion of eggs Eggs can enter humans through: • food • water • contaminated soil If a host animal, such as a pig, has a tapeworm, segments of the worm or its eggs may be present in the feces of the host. These drop onto soil, and each segment may contain thousands of eggs. A human • drinking contaminated water • interacting with affected animals and contaminated soil • consuming contaminated food The eggs hatch into larvae and make their way into the gut, or outside the gut and infect other parts of the body. This type of infection is most common with tapeworms that come from infected pigs, and is much less common if the original host was cattle or fish. Eating affected meat or fish If meat or fish have larvae cysts and are undercooked or raw, the cysts can travel to the human intestine, where ...