Tapeworm Infection/Disease

Tapeworm Disease/Infection

What is Tapeworm Disease?

Tapeworm disease is an infection of the animal digestive tracks; tapeworms more specifically target intestinal routes such as the small intestine and large intestine. There are a wide range of different tapeworms that are found in different animals, some species of tapeworms such as the commonly found beef tapeworm can be found in humans. The beef tapeworm are the most commonly type of tapeworm found in north America, but there are also several other types that can be transmitted into humans such as pork tapeworms or fish tapeworms.

 

Tapeworms are a type of intestinal parasite that needs a host, for example: pigs, cows, fish, or even humans. In humans, tape worms are usually found inside the small intestine, they hook themselves onto the walls of our intestines and feed on the partially digested food that travels through.

Basically if you have tapeworm disease, you have a family of parasite worms living in your intestinal tracks.

What is a Tapeworm?

The first evidence of tapeworm dates back all the way one million seven hundred years ago (Buzzle.com, R. Putaunda, 2011). At this time, the only real interaction humans had with animals was the relationship between hunters and prays, in other words eating them for food. We did not have farms, or raise animals, or genetically modify our food, thus tapeworm originated from and spread to humans because it was naturally found inside animals.

Tapeworms have three sections to their bodies, the head, neck, and body known as the proglottids. The head of the tapeworm contain hooks that allow the worm to grab onto the inner intestinal walls of the host and happily stay there until they die or are removed, a tapeworm can generally live with only its head. The body, or proglottids of the tapeworm is a long strip can range from anywhere between 6 inches to twenty feet long as an adult. The proglottids also contains eggs that can be released and spread throughout our body, being a parasite that contains both male and female organs, tapeworms can easily reproduce and infest the intestine at a fairly fast rate. Tapeworms feed off the partially digested food coming through our intestines by absorbing it through the outer layer of its body and digesting it itself. (medical-dictionary, 2004)

Tapeworm Disease symptoms

Generally, a tapeworm infection presents no symptoms or major complications to the victim. In fact, most people infected with tapeworm disease do not even know that they have it! Victims with the infection most commonly discover their problem when they spot tapeworm segments in their feces. In rare cases, symptoms such as nausea, frequent diarrhea, weakness, and abdominal pain and discomfort are the only signs of intestinal tapeworm infection a victim would ever experience. The most common symptom of a tapeworm infection is the need to eat more frequently. Long story short, it is hard to spot a tapeworm disease, and if you are infected, it causes no real danger.

Although in most cases tapeworms do not cause any major or even noticeable symptoms, it can cause a blockage in the intestinal track on rare occasions. In other words, this screws up your digestive system because your food is stuck in your intestine. The build up of tapeworm can slowly cause blockages in your intestines, most commonly in your small intestine, this might take years but there are cases where this was an issue. Frequent abdominal pain is a sign for a possible tapeworm blockage in your digestive system.

Intestinal parasites such as the tapeworm usually linger in our intestinal tracks but they can also be transferred to other parts of our body such as our appendix, pancreas, or even bile duct. Unsanitary environments and careless behavior can occasionally transfer premature tapeworm eggs to parts of our body such as our nervous system. Tapeworms in our nervous system can potentially cause seizures and headaches; this can be a dangerous concern if the issue is not properly taken care of (medical-dictionary, 2004).

Issues in society contributing to tapeworm disease

In today’s society, tapeworm disease is highly unlikely in developed countries due to the high level of sanitation and in depth safety precautions that are required to be looked upon in our foods. In other parts of the world that are not as developed or advanced, tapeworm infection rates sky rocket. An estimated one thousand people in United States are infected with the tapeworm disease, but as we look at this at a larger scale, fifty million people are estimated to be infected around the world. Proper disposal of meat and feces, proper storage of meat, and preparing meats correctly are simple things that could easily prevent tapeworm disease. In some parts of the world though, precautions such as feces disposal and proper meat treatment are not available or even possible. Given the ability to dispose of feces in poorer and undeveloped countries could make a huge difference in the number of people affected by the tapeworm disease. Not everyone is as lucky as we are, but we can still help by preventing the spread of tapeworm within ourselves.

The most common reason for tapeworm infection in North America is undercooked meat. Cooking our meat to the recommended temperature not only eliminates the possibility of tapeworm eggs, but it also kills any infectious parasites that could be in the meat. The problem with today’s society is that we are lazy, and we are getting lazier as technology and our surrounding evolves to make our lives easier. The idea of proper storage of meat and proper preparation of meat is often put aside as we feel that it is not necessary, or because we are simply lazy to do it. With every piece of meat that is undercooked or improperly stored we increase the chance of tapeworm infection to the person consuming the meat. Tapeworm infections are completely avoidable given that the proper precautions are taken. Personally, in a developed area such as North America, it is sad to see that tapeworm infections are even a problem considering that we can easily completely eliminate the contributions to the disease.

Technology

Tapeworm infection is curable. Since tapeworm is a rather large parasite living inside a person, it can easily be removed with the right treatment. Yet, some people don’t need to be treated, because they exit their body on its own. But in most cases, it is recommended that the host should get treatment just to be on the safe side.

The most common treatment for a tapeworm infection is through oral medications that are toxic towards tapeworms. These medications include, Praziquantel (Biltrcide), Albendazole (Albenza), Nitazoxanide (Alinia). Each drug is prescribed depending on the species of the tapeworm and the location of the infection. But, these drugs only target the hatched tapeworms, not the eggs, it is best to take the medication regularly to kill the adult and the future tapeworms.(Mayoclinic, 2011)

Sometimes, tapeworm can be found in another part of your body other than your intestine, and their called invasive infections. They’re invasive because they invade other parts of your body, slowly eating the life off of you and infecting your body as it moves. However, there are treatments that can cure that problem. But without treatment, this can lead to death.

Some of these treatments include:

-Anthelmintic drugs: Albendazole (Albenza) can shrink some tapeworm cysts (Disease/infection caused by infection from the eggs). Basically, stop the infection that the tapeworm causes.

-Anti-inflammatory therapy: Tapeworm cysts can cause swelling or inflammation in tissues or organs, medication such as prednisone or dexamethasone is to reduce inflammation.

-Anti-epileptic therapy:  If the disease is causing seizures, anti-epileptic medications can stop them.

-Shunt placement: One type of invasive infection can cause too much fluid on the brain, called hydrocephalus. The common procedure is by placing a permanent shunt, or tube, in your head to drain the fluid.

-Surgery: Whether cysts can be removed surgically depends on their location and symptoms. Cysts that develop in the liver, lungs and eyes are typically removed, since they can eventually threaten organ function. But an alternative way can be done by using drainage tube as an alternative to surgery. The tube allows aggressive rinsing (irrigation) of the area with anti-parasitic solutions. (Mayoclinic, 2011)

Preventions

Prevention from tapeworm infection can be done fairly easily. Some of these preventions include:

·         Wash your hands with soap and water before eating or handling food and after using the toilet.

·         When traveling in areas where tapeworm is more common, wash and cook all fruits and vegetables with safe water before eating.

·         Eliminate livestock exposure to tapeworm eggs by properly disposing of animal and human feces.

·         Thoroughly cook meat at temperatures of at least 52°C to kill tapeworm eggs or larvae.

·         Freeze meat for at least 12 hours and fish for at least 24 hours to kill tapeworm eggs and larvae.

·         Avoid eating raw or undercooked pork, beef and fish.

·         Promptly treat dogs infected with tapeworm.

How many tapeworms can live inside you?


Lets find out!
http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=how-many-tapeworms-can-live-inside-you

"Fun" Experiment At Home
( we are not responsible for anything that may happen to you, do at own risk)

1. Buy any type of meat

2. Cook the meat for 1 minute or less (or just skip this step)

3. Eat (add extra stuff for that "zing" taste)

4. Examine your feces to see if there are "life" for the next few weeks (you will be a (man)mother!)

5. Go to a doctor to get tapeworms removed if it is successful (OPTIONAL STEP)

6. If you skipped step 5, good job, you're either going to die or the tapeworm will come out of you anus.

If you completed the experiment, you'll receive a free cookie (or a bowl of rice) in the next year. Satisfaction guarantee.