How Is Tapeworm Treated & How Can it Be Prevented?

Tapeworm is a parasitic worm that can cause an infection called taeniasis. You can become infected if you eat tapeworm eggs or larvae contained in food or drinks. Some tapeworm eggs can migrate outside your intestines and make cysts in your body tissues and organs. This is called an invasive tapeworm infection. Adult tapeworms can live for years and grow over 12 feet long. People infected with intestinal tapeworm pass the eggs in their stool and thus can spread the infection.

Things You'll Need

• Tapeworm medications
• Soap and water

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Instructions

Treatment

• 1

  Go and see your physician if you suspect you have eaten tapeworm contaminated food. Your doctor can prescribe medications that will kill the tapeworm. Common drugs to treat tapeworm infections include praziquantel, albendazole and niclosamide.

• 2

  Take your medications as recommended. Invasive tapeworm infection may also require additional therapy including anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce swelling caused by the cysts, anti-epileptic therapy to treat possible seizures and surgery for the removal of the cysts.

• 3

  Wash your hands properly after using the toilet and before eating to avoid reinfecting yourself and others. Use clean paper towels to prevent spreading the eggs and larvae.

Prevention

• 4

  Wash and cook all fruits and vegetables with bottled water when traveling to areas where tapeworm infections may occur.

• 5

  Cook all meat thoroughly to at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit for five minutes to kill eggs and larvae. Additionally you can freeze meat for at least 12 hours and fish for 24 hours to kill the larvae and eggs.

• 6

  Do not eat raw or uncooked pork, beef or fish. These animals can carry tapeworm and spread it to you. Order your meat well done and avoid sushi.

• 7

  Wash your hands with soap and warm water before preparing food and after using toilet.