About Human Tapeworm

The human tapeworm is an intestinal parasite, and it needs to feed off a host in order to survive. They can grow up to 30 feet long, and their bodies are flat. Because there are not any significant symptoms, people usually don't even know that they have a tapeworm. Over time tapeworms move into muscle tissue and organs and can cause cysts or diseases like Cysticercosis, Neurocysticercosis or Alveolar Hydatid Disease.

History

• Many scientists believed that humans were exposed to the human tapeworm 10,000 years ago when pigs and cattle were domesticated. However, parasitologists have set the record straight and proven that the tapeworm has had a longer history with humans. Although tapeworms did infest pigs and cattle, they were present in carnivorous animals that humans hunted. This means that humans were exposed to tapeworms as far as 1.7 million years ago.

Features

• The human tapeworm is a part of the family of parasites called Cestoda. The following are types of tapeworms: dwarf tapeworm, Taenia solium, Echinococcus granulosus, Taenia saginata, Hymenolepsis nana and Diphyllobothrium latum. Tapeworms can be different sizes ranging from 6 inches to 30 feet long, and they have hooks, spines or suckers located near their head. Their bodies are flat and long, and it's divided into three sections: head, neck and proglottids (carries its eggs).

Significance

• The human tapeworm can wreak havoc on the body. Because it gets its energy and food from its host, it will most likely survive until the host dies or until the host receives treatment. Plus, its eggs can travel through the body and infect other areas. After some time, they can cause cysts and other diseases. Children are most susceptible to the human tapeworm, because their immune systems are developing and they can be exposed to them when touching animals or playing in the dirt.

Time Frame

• The life cycle of a human tapeworm occurs in six steps. First, the adult tapeworm is in an animal's stomach. Then the mature segments are excreted from the stomach through the animal's feces. These segments are eaten by another animal, say a pig. The eggs in the segment hatch into larvae in the pig's stomach. Over time the larvae get into the muscles of the pig where they form cysts. When humans eat the meat of the pig, the cysts enter the humans body and develop into the tapeworm.

Prevention/Solution

• To prevent getting the human tapeworm, it's important to cook meat and fish thoroughly and to wash fruits and vegetables before eating them. Another easy way to prevent an infestation is to practice good hygiene by washing your hands before eating or touching your mouth or eyes. While there are herbal remedies to help cleanse your colon, more serious infestations may require prescriptions drugs like niclosamide or quinacrine hydrochloride. Whichever treatment you choose, you should seek a doctor's advice and supervision.