Wednesday, November 27, 2019

What is a tapeworm infection and who is at risk?

According to a recent report, hundreds of tapeworms were found in a man's brain and chest, after doctors looked into the matter when he complained of headaches and seizures. The tapeworms reportedly originated from the eggs of a piece of underc-ooked pork that the man ate.  

A 43-year-old Chinese man ate pork that he said, “he was unsure about”. The under-cooked meat was contaminated with a parasitic tapeworm, Taenia Solium. However, he obviously did not expect to be infected by such an infection. What is a tapeworm infection, and who could be at a higher risk of contracting the infection? Here is what you need to know.

Tapeworm infection is caused by ingesting food or water that is contaminated with tapeworm eggs or larvae, as it happened when the 43-year-old man consumed under-cooked meat that apparently carried the parasite tapeworm eggs. When you ingest the eggs, they can move outside your intestines and form cysts in almost any place in your body. However, if you ingest the larvae, they develop into adult tapeworms inside your intestines itself and do not move to other organs in the body. 

This categorises the tapeworm infection into two types – intestinal tapeworm and invasive infection. 

The causes of tapeworm infection include ingestion of eggs or ingestion of larvae cysts in meat. However, some people may be at a greater risk of contracting the infection than others. Here are some risk factors, that can elevate the risk of a tapeworm infection.

Improper hygiene

Not washing your hands before you eat, not bathing regularly, etc can increase your risk of not just the tapeworm infection, but in fact, any communicable disease. You must practice proper hygiene to reduce your risk to a minimum.

Travelling or living in places with poor sanitation

Poor sanitation around you like defecating in open spaces can increase your risk of contracting the tapeworm infection. The infection is rare in developed countries, and more spread in developing countries due to this reason. If you live or are travelling to a place with poor sanitation, it is important to take proper care to reduce your risk.

Eating raw or under-cooked meat

Tapeworms, larvae, and eggs are widely present in meat, especially pork. Eating raw, or under-cooked meat can put you at a higher risk of the tapeworm infection. You must ensure that the meat is hygienic, fresh, and cooked properly before you consume it.

Living or travelling to endemic areas

The risk of tapeworm infection is more in certain areas of the world. People living or travelling to China, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia should be very cautious and take precautions. Free-range pigs in such areas are more common, which increases the risk.

this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
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