Tapeworms Habitat

Cestoda, commonly called tapeworms, are parasites that use tentacles, suckers or hooks to attach themselves to the intestines of hosts. The tapeworm looks like a tape or ribbon and is much longer than it is wide.

Types

• Tapeworms live everywhere on land and in water where vertebrates live. Most adult tapeworms live in the intestines of humans and animals, including dogs and cats. Larvae can be found in the brain, muscles, lungs and eyes of the host.

Transference

• Tapeworm larvae live in the host animals and are transferred to the final host when it consumes the intermediate host. One group of larvae lives in fleas and mites, and the other group lives in pigs, sheep, goats and cattle.

Significance

• Tapeworms normally enter the human body through food. People who eat raw or undercooked fish, pork or beef get infected by tapeworms living in these intermediate hosts.

Signs

• You may have become a home for tapeworms if you experience weight loss, constipation, diarrhea or abdominal discomfort. Tapeworms are often misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or similar chronic digestive problems.

Warning

• Tapeworms in humans can cause health problems by stealing nutrients from the food you eat. The cysts, or protected larvae of tapeworms, can travel to other parts of the body, such as the brain or eyes, and can cause serious complications if they begin to grow in those areas.