The Reality of Tapeworm Infection.

avatar
(Edited)

I had my compulsory youth service year in a very local region I have written here before, and I was teaching some school kids and I was really close to them, asides from classroom discussions, they were able to relate with me about their personal life. I was resting in my room one evening when one of my students came to inform me that another student found a tapeworm on her stool. I was scared and inexperienced in this field, so I ran to call someone who had better knowledge in this field. I picked up my phone to search the internet about it, of course, I was surprised and at the same time enlightened on the topic.

I was assured that it could be handled with local herbs and I should relax, she was taken care of that day but deep down, I knew she needed proper medical attention which she could not get in that village. One day soon, I hope to have the appropriate connection (financially and politically), to help provide the required medical assistance to that village. Away from that to the topic of the day.


pexels

Tapeworms are flat, segmented types of worms that exist inside the intestine of certain animals. There is a high chance of animals getting infected with the parasite while grazing in the pasture or consuming contaminated/untreated water. After the animals get infected, the tapeworm could get transferred to humans through the consumption of undercooked meat from infected animals. Tapeworms can be divided into three parts;

  • The head region, which is the part attached to the intestine.
  • The neck region has the ability to regenerate.
  • The other parts of the worm, consisting of various segments, may also contain eggs.

There are five different types of tapeworm known through research to infect humans, the infection caused by these tapeworms are closely related to the animals they come from.

  • Beef tapeworm is known as Taenia saginata.
  • Pork tapeworm**: Scientifically known as *Taenia solium
  • Dwarf tapeworm**:Scientifically known as *Hymenolepsis
  • Asian tapeworm, known as Taenia asiatica.
  • Fish tapeworm, known as Diphyllobothrium.


pexels

Pork, fish, and beef tapeworms are large, flat, and ribbon-liked-shaped worms that exist inside the intestine of humans, they can grow up to 15-30ft in length. Humans have considered the definitive host of this tapeworm as the tapeworm lives inside their intestine, the egg-bearing sections of the worm which are the proglottids are passed through the stool.

The egg of this tapeworm gets into the human body when untreated human waste gets released into the environment, the egg released could get into an intermediate host which could either be cattle, pigs, or even small freshwater which eventually gets ingested by the fish. The eggs eventually hatch into the larvae of the intermediate host, these larvae invade the intestinal wall and get carried through the bloodstream into the skeletal muscle and other tissues where cysts are formed. Humans then acquire this parasite by consuming the cysts in undercooked or raw meat, the consumed cyst then hatches and develops into an adult worm, latching onto the intestinal wall, causing the worm to grow in length and then begin to produce eggs.

Dwarf tapeworm:Scientifically known as Hymenolepsis, dwarf tapeworms are actually small just like the name implies, usually about inches in height, people get infected with dwarf tapeworms after they consume tapeworm eggs instead of cysts. The tapeworm egg could be consumed either through food or water, contaminated through human stool, or through the mouth through contact with an infected person.
Consumption of dwarf tapeworm could also be through, infected insects, beetles, and even fleas which may be hidden in grains. These infected eggs get to develop into adults and they live in the intestine. The adult tapeworms have the ability to lay eggs passed in stools, these eggs may be consumed by another person or even by the same person leading to the infection birthing a new and fresh generation of tapeworms.

There are also times, when the eggs hatch into the intestine and grow into adult drawf tapeworms causing infections without leaving the body, this process is known as ''self infection'' or ''autoinfection'', leading to a large accumulation of dwarf tapeworms causing symptoms of dwarf tapeworm.

Cysticercosis: Those who take in eggs of a pork tapeworm can become an intermediate host for the tapeworm to function, the possibility of becoming an intermediate host depends on one of the following occurence;

  • When a person swallows the pork of tapeworm eggs through water or food contaminated in human stool.

  • Those with adult worms in their intestine, may have a case of reinfection when there is an egg swallowed from the stool.

  • When there is a transfer of egg through the mouth after contact with infected stool.
    In an intermediate host, eggs get developed into spheres that contain larvae, the moment they get into the intestine. These created spheres penetrate through the intestinal wall and then travel through the brain, the muscles, and other organs in the body, they could also travel through the tissues found under the skin, where cysts are formed and of course create a disease known as ''cysticercosis''.

Signs of Tapeworm Infection.

Tapeworm infections come with these symptoms; Fatigue, Nausea, Weight loss, Diarrhea, Weakness, Abdominal pain, and Mineral deficiencies.

Adult tapeworms present in the intestine often do not have any associated symptoms, but some carriers usually experience abdominal discomfort, diarrhea and other associated symptoms, From time to time, those with tapeworms inside of them, usually feel a piece of worm move out through their anus or they even physically see some parts of the ribbon-like, tapeworm in their stool (like my student did).

Fish tapeworm can cause anemia since it absorbs vitamin B1, which is needed for red blood cells to be produced.

In the case of cysticercosis infections, the symptoms are caused by cysts that form in the brain and other organs in the body like the spinal cord, the liver, lungs, and the eyes. The cysts formed could cause serious and sometimes life-threatening symptoms years after the initial infection, when these cysts begin to deteriorate and cause inflammation. The cysts formed in the brain and the surrounding tissues covering the brain can result in seizures, headaches, confusion, and other neurological symptoms. On rare occasions, cysts get developed in the eyes often times causing blindness or it could even get developed in the spinal cord, resulting in paralysis or muscle weakness.

In order to diagnose the presence of tapeworm infections, medical experts usually have to examine a stool sample to check for the presence of cysticercosis, computed tomography, or even magnetic resonance imaging, and most likely blood tests. With worm segments or eggs found in a stool sample, the intestinal tapeworm is found.

The Possibility of Preventing Tapeworm Infection.

  • Thoroughly cook your meat.
  • Freshwater fish should not be consumed raw but has to be appropriately cooked.
  • Smocking and drying, do not destroy cysts.
  • Avoiding food and water that stands a chance of being contaminated with stool.
  • Avoiding the grains contaminated by infected insects.
  • Properly washing the hands with warm water and soap after using the toilet, changing diapers, and before food preparation. Ref

Some tapeworm infections can be treated with medications without going to the extent of surgery. In the case of cysticercosis, however, things are different. It is not treated unless it has to do with the brain, certain medications can be prescribed in order to reduce inflammation, and those with seizures are given antiseizure medications. Antiparasitic drugs cannot be used for the treatment of cysts in the spinal cord or eyes, this is because of their ability to trigger serious inflammation that can damage close tissues.
Occasionally, surgery is needed to treat cysticercosis. Ref

For Further Studies.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170461#causes

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23950-tapeworm-infection

https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/tapeworm.html

Snapchat-1340420437.jpg



Hi, I am Tobi a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people. Want to hear me speak on relationships and general life issues, you can find my podcast channel Here and I also have a youtube channel where you can listen and watch any episode for free, do not forget to subscribe and share with friends. I sincerely appreciate every love I get from members of the community and do well to keep them coming.



0
0
0.000
5 comments
avatar

Reading this post made me literally remember when I say a tapeworm coming out of a persons anus live, He screamed out of the rest room. It was horrible.

love this post

0
0
0.000
avatar

I can only imagine the horrific feeling, the day my student noticed it as well was so scary.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Thanks for your contribution to the STEMsocial community. Feel free to join us on discord to get to know the rest of us!

Please consider delegating to the @stemsocial account (85% of the curation rewards are returned).

You may also include @stemsocial as a beneficiary of the rewards of this post to get a stronger support. 
 

0
0
0.000