Taeniasis (Tapeworm Infection)

Known among the public as tapeworm or intestinal worm, Taenia is a flat, segmented parasite that lives in the small intestine of humans and animals. These parasites attach to the intestinal wall and absorb the nutrients the person digests, and in this way can grow to several metres in length (from 2 up to 25 metres, depending on the species).

1. The Most Common Tapeworm Species and How They Are Transmitted

Tapeworms usually enter the human body through eating raw or undercooked meat containing parasite larvae, drinking contaminated water, or poor hygiene:

• Taenia saginata (beef tapeworm): The most common species in Turkey. It is transmitted by eating undercooked, infected beef (for example çiğ köfte — raw meatballs — or rare steak). It can grow up to 10 metres long in the intestine.
• Taenia solium (pork tapeworm): Transmitted from undercooked pork. Its main difference from the beef tapeworm is that if its eggs are swallowed directly, the larvae can leave the intestine and settle in the brain, eyes or muscle tissue, causing dangerous cysts known as cysticercosis.
• Diphyllobothrium latum (fish tapeworm): Transmitted from raw or smoked fish, and known in particular for causing vitamin B12 deficiency (anaemia).

2. Symptoms of a Tapeworm in the Intestine

Tapeworm infections (taeniasis) can often run for a long time without any symptoms. In people who do have symptoms, these complaints stand out:

• Seeing segments in the stool or underwear: The clearest sign. The tapeworm’s gravid segments break off and leave the body with the stool, or come out of the anus on their own. They are white or yellowish, ribbon-like pieces that can move.
• Weight loss despite constant hunger: Because the parasite absorbs the nutrients in the intestine, the person may lose weight or feel weak no matter how much they eat.
• Digestive complaints: Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, bouts of diarrhoea or constipation, with bloating and wind.
• Itching around the anus: As detached segments come out, itching and a pricking sensation develop at the anus.

3. Diagnosis

The most common method of diagnosis is a stool test. A stool sample is examined in the laboratory for tapeworm eggs or microscopic fragments. Sometimes the patient bringing a segment seen in the stool directly to the doctor also gives a definite diagnosis.

4. How Is a Tapeworm Expelled? (Treatment)

Tapeworm infections cannot be fully cleared with herbal formulas or hearsay remedies. Medical treatment is essential for a definite cure.

• Antiparasitic medicines: Special medicines prescribed by the doctor and taken by mouth as a single dose or a short course (for example praziquantel or niclosamide) are used. Treatment should not be taken without consulting a doctor.
• The critical point (expelling the head): The medicines paralyse the parasite so that it detaches from the intestinal wall. For treatment to count as fully successful, the tapeworm’s scolex (head) must come away from the intestine and be expelled. If the head remains inside, the parasite produces new segments and grows again. For this reason, follow-up stool tests are requested after treatment.

Prevention

• Never eat meat raw (as in çiğ köfte) or undercooked. Make sure the internal temperature of the meat reaches a level that kills the larvae (at least 63–71 °C).
• Do not drink water whose safety you are not sure of without boiling it.
• Wash vegetables and fruit that will be eaten raw very thoroughly.
• Wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds before preparing food and after using the toilet.