What is a tapeworm
You can learn what a tapeworm looks like from the photos that are freely available on the Internet. The parasite is a helminth from the group Pseudophyllidea. This worm can grow up to 25 cm in length and 2 cm in width. The tape shape of the tapeworm makes it easy to distinguish it from other helminths.
It looks like an uneven, intertwined white ribbon. Its structure is quite simple:
- head size 5 mm;
- a large number of segments in adults up to 4 thousand.
The helminth needs segments for reproduction. They produce eggs, which are subsequently released into the environment. The parasite is able to recover from just one segment into a full-fledged tapeworm.
Symptoms and diagnosis
From the moment tapeworm eggs enter a person’s gastrointestinal tract and before he notices a clear deterioration in health, several years may pass. But subsequently the person experiences severe intoxication, affecting smooth muscles and the nervous system. In addition, noticeable:
- Mental disorders.
- Unreasonable decrease in body weight with good appetite.
- Sudden dizziness.
- Nausea, cramps.
- Physical weakness.
- Allergic reactions.
- Bloating, paroxysmal pain in the gastrointestinal tract.
- Increased salivation.
- Cough without signs of a cold.
- Blue circles under the eyes.
If at least a few symptoms continue for several days, a visit to the doctor is necessary. In case of intestinal damage, it is often sufficient: microscopic examination of stool, general blood test.
Serological testing will help identify the presence of tapeworm at the larval level. The materials for this can be: blood serum, saliva and feces. In case of brain damage, brain computed tomography and MRI are additionally prescribed to identify the parasite.
Which fish are susceptible to tapeworm infestation?
The tapeworm is capable of infecting 47 species of fish. Invasion often occurs in river fish, these are:
- crucian carp;
- silver bream;
- pike;
- bream;
- roach.
Typically, saltpeter fish is found in polluted water bodies. The first sign of the presence of helminths in water is an unpleasant odor. It appears due to the fact that the worm is tearing the fish apart. Its mass death causes water poisoning.
Infection of fish also occurs in ecologically clean regions. The parasite is often found in salmon, roach, herring, and pollock. It should be noted that whitefish, peled, and pike perch are not susceptible to tapeworm infection.
Is it possible to swim in a contaminated pond?
The period when fish are infected with tapeworm occurs in the summer, when people begin to go out to water bodies to swim. You can only become infected with tapeworm through the meat of diseased fish, so don’t be afraid to swim in the water. Although it is worth remembering that polluted water bodies are dangerous not only from fish helminths. Other parasites may well develop in insufficiently clean water. Therefore, you should be careful when choosing a vacation spot.
What does tapeworm look like in fish?
It is not difficult to recognize infected fish; they appear on the surface and are inactive. Therefore, it is better to avoid catching weakened waterfowl, since eating contaminated meat is a dangerous decision for humans. His health is at risk.
When cutting up an infected fish, you can see how a white flat tapeworm has completely filled its intestines. Photos presented on the Internet will help you learn more about the appearance of the tapeworm.
Rules for preparing fish products
If you still want to enjoy the catch, then you need to properly heat treat it to minimize the likelihood of infection. The following culinary tricks can help in this undertaking:
- The giblets should be removed from the fish carcass and washed thoroughly;
- It is better to cook clean fillet;
- before cooking, it is recommended to cut the meat into small pieces or process it into minced fish;
- The product needs to be cooked for a long time at high temperature.
Another way to disinfect a product is to freeze it. The pre-cleaned and thoroughly washed carcass is placed in the freezer for at least 10 hours. It is better to use the deep freezing method: the carcass is placed in a freezer for three days at a temperature of -20°C or at -8-10°C for several weeks. Under the influence of such low temperatures, living larvae die.
Whether to eat saltpeter fish or not is everyone’s choice. Do not forget to thoroughly heat treat the purchased product before eating. But it is better to completely avoid eating fish that is infected with tapeworm, and you should not buy dried and salted products from suppliers who are not trustworthy.
Helminth development
Tapeworms in fish can reach a length of up to 25 cm and cause serious illness. The body consists of segments, which, after maturation, separate and are capable of independent existence. A special feature is that the worm is capable of producing male and female reproductive cells at the same time. They are attached to the walls of the internal organs using suction cups, which are located on the front of the body.
The broad tapeworm can lay up to several thousand eggs per day. The lifespan of each individual can reach 20 years.
The fish tapeworm goes through several stages in its development.
- Fish become infected with larvae by eating cyclops, crustaceans, snails and other small inhabitants of water bodies.
- Fish infected with larvae are caught and eaten by waterfowl.
- Further development of the larvae occurs in the body of the birds, and they, along with feces, again enter the water.
- Particles of feces are again swallowed by small inhabitants of the reservoir, on which freshwater fish feed, and are again infected with tapeworm. But at this stage, larvae form, which can become dangerous to humans.
Most often, fish with white meat, such as bream, roach, pike, and sop, are susceptible to tapeworm. As the tapeworm grows, all the internal organs of the fish are compressed. The swim bladder contracts, swimming function is impaired, so the fish floats to the surface and can remain belly up for a long time.
Description of the parasite
The tapeworm is a long, white flatworm. It can reach up to 25 cm in length and 20 mm in width. The worm has suckers on its body, which attach it to the abdominal cavity. The tapeworm is capable of fully recovering from even a small piece of its body. It enters the fish’s body in the form of a small larva, and then grows, sticking to the circulatory system. As it develops, it seriously deforms vital organs. The spleen, liver and genitals begin to atrophy. The body becomes intoxicated and metabolism is severely disrupted.
For tapeworm, fish is an intermediate host. Its ultimate target is birds that eat contaminated fish. The worm is a hermaphrodite. In the body of the final host, a bird, it lays larvae, which end up in the reservoir along with excrement. The fish accidentally swallows the larva.
The worm develops in the animal's abdominal cavity, feeding on nutrients. Another bird catches and eats the infected fish. Thus, the tapeworm enters the body of the final host. Afterwards the cycle is repeated over and over again. Infection quickly covers almost all inhabitants of the reservoir. For prevention, all sick fish are caught, and the carrier birds are shot.
How does infection occur?
Only after passing certain stages of development can a helminth become a sexually mature individual. To do this, he must alternately get to two intermediate and one main owner.
The life cycle of a tapeworm consists of several stages.
- Through the feces of tapeworm-infected mammals, the worm releases several million immature eggs into the environment every day. The eggs remain viable for 30 days. During this time, they either fall into the water, where their further development occurs, or die.
- In a pond, free-swimming larvae (procercoids) are released from the eggs. They become prey for copepods, making them the first intermediate hosts of the worm.
- Fish, having swallowed infected crustaceans, become a new intermediate host of the helminth. Parasitizing in the abdominal cavity, procercoids gradually pass into the next larval stage of plerocercoids.
- The larvae complete development in the body of the main host. Its role is played by people or animals (bears, foxes, dogs and cats) consuming diseased fish. Once in the digestive tract, plerocercoids attach to the intestinal walls, where in a short time they grow into a sexually mature worm.
A fish tapeworm in the human intestine can retain the ability to reproduce for 20 years.
Note! A helminthic infestation can only be acquired by eating tapeworm fish. Larvae floating in water bodies do not pose a danger.
Simple and effective preventive measures
Primary prevention is aimed at developing hygiene skills. Boiling water and proper heat treatment of food leads to the death of eggs and larvae, which prevents tapeworm infection. To prevent cestodosis, you should:
- observe the rules of hygiene,
- eat only well-cooked meat,
- wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly,
- avoid close contact with domestic or stray animals,
- Treat domestic cats and dogs with anthelmintics once every 3 months,
- keep the bathroom and kitchen clean,
- be examined by a doctor once a year.
Tapeworm is a parasite that causes many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, brain, cardiovascular and immune systems. But if you follow the rules of hygiene and heat treatment of products, the likelihood of tapeworm infection is reduced by 50-70% times. Helminthologists recommend twice a year - in autumn and spring - to undergo preventive treatment with broad-spectrum medications.
Why is tapeworm dangerous?
This parasite is dangerous in the later stages of the disease. There are several reasons for this:
- this worm is a hermaphrodite, so if at least 1 worm enters the body, this is enough for reproduction;
- The tapeworm lays about 1 million eggs per day, the lifespan of each individual can reach 20 years;
- the disease is difficult to detect, so the patient seeks help in a critical situation.
Important to remember! You should undergo medical examination periodically! This will help identify the disease in the early stages and easily get rid of the disease. The tapeworm in fish is dangerous to humans, not the product itself.
Features of tapeworm treatment in children
To ensure that tapeworms are eliminated from the child’s body, complex-action medications are chosen. They must destroy eggs, larvae and adult parasites. The following are used as antiparasitic drugs:
- Albendazole,
- Niclosamide,
- Praziquantel,
- Wormil,
- Fenasal,
- Nemozol.
To relieve signs of cestodosis, the following are additionally prescribed:
- enzyme preparations – Enzistal, Pancreatin, Festal, Pancitrate,
- enterosorbents – Enterosgel, Smecta, Polyphepan, Polysorb, Enterodes,
- vitamin and mineral complexes – Pikovit, Alphabet, Multi-Tabs, Bebitamin.
Solitaire fish: signs, behavioral characteristics
The tapeworm in the abdominal cavity of an aquatic inhabitant quickly increases in size. It compresses the swim bladder and other organs, which leads to their atrophy. Tapeworm in fish causes metabolic disorders and endogenous intoxication. The altered swim bladder loses its hydrostatic function.
There are a number of signs that allow you to visually identify an infected individual:
- saltpeter fish rarely descends to a depth of more than 3 meters. Usually floats on the surface of the water (often on its side). From time to time he rolls over onto his back;
- the belly is hard and swollen. When pressed, a tapeworm segment may appear from it;
- When playing, it behaves passively and practically does not resist. Once caught, it quickly dies.
You can verify the presence of the parasite during the process of gutting the catch: flat white worms will be found in the abdominal cavity of the tapeworm fish. Helminth larvae are localized in the liver, intestines, and muscle layer near the fins. It is impossible to see them with the naked eye.
The peak of tapeworm infestation occurs in the summer months, but at other times of the year the likelihood of catching sick fish is quite high.
Be careful tapeworm
19.12.10 12:48
(30 votes, average 3.63 out of 5)
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More and more often, fish infected with a parasite, tapeworm, or its other name, tapeworm, are appearing in water bodies.
Those who are not familiar with this may have several questions related to this. We will try to answer the most relevant ones. A tapeworm is a parasitic tapeworm that, while still a larva, enters the intestines of a living organism, lives and parasitizes there, feeding mainly on blood. Some individuals can penetrate the tissues and organs of the abdominal cavity. Externally, the tapeworm is an elongated ribbon-like body up to 20-40 cm long and 0.5-1.5 cm wide; there are small suckers on the head, with which they cling to the intestinal walls and take away most of the nutrients from the host. In addition, as the worms increase in size, they put pressure on the internal organs, which leads to their atrophy.
What types of fish are susceptible to this disease?
Most often, white fish are susceptible to this disease, especially bream and roach, as well as pike. The intermediate host of the tapeworm is Cyclops (small crustaceans); the final host is waterbirds.
How to recognize infected fish?
The first sign of tapeworm fish is a swollen, compacted abdomen. When you press it, the tapeworm may come out. Infected fish stop feeding and float on the surface of the water. The greatest risk of catching infected fish occurs in late spring and summer, when the larvae enter a warm body of water. If you catch fish and are immediately able to recognize signs of the disease, you should inform the owner of the reservoir. Under no circumstances should such fish be put back into the body of water in which you caught it.
Is it possible to eat tapeworm fish?
The tapeworm is primarily a parasite that harms not only the carrier fish, but also humans. Even if you remove the long worm along with its entrails, the larvae may be in the meat or other places out of sight. And the size of the larvae is too small to recognize them as a real threat.
How to cook this fish?
If you still decide not to throw away your catch, then try to at least reduce the risk of helminth infection. Before cooking, the fish must be thoroughly gutted and washed. It is best to immediately cut it into fillets. Such fish certainly needs long hot processing. Portion pieces should be made small, or minced fish should be prepared from the fillet. Salting and drying solitaire fish is not recommended. Another way to disinfect fish is freezing. Cleaned and washed fish with running water is placed in the freezer for at least 10 hours. As a result of sub-zero heat treatment, tapeworm larvae die.
Is it possible to eat tapeworm fish?
Is helminth dangerous for humans? The prevailing opinion among fishermen that fish infected with tapeworm is not dangerous if the parasite is removed from it is only partly true. The worm in fish itself does not really pose a health threat. The problem is that tapeworm larvae, invisible to the naked eye, remain in the muscle tissue. Once they enter the human body, they begin to actively parasitize. Within 12 months, the plerocercoids reach the final stage of development, turning into an adult worm. Worm infestation can be asymptomatic. In some cases, dizziness, nausea, abdominal pain, disruption of the digestive system, and irritability are noted.
Tapeworm in fish is dangerous for humans due to diphyllobothriasis. The parasitic disease causes damage to the gastrointestinal tract and contributes to the development of megaloblastic anemia. There are known deaths due to intestinal obstruction.
Is it possible to eat saltpeter fish? Ideally, a caught sick individual should be thrown away, wrapped in a tight bag. You can bury it far from a body of water (the tapeworm larvae die in the ground). It cannot be released back into the water due to the danger of invasion of other inhabitants.
Smoked and dried fish
Infection through dried fish is possible. An adult tapeworm usually dies when dried, but the eggs can remain viable for a long time. Smoked fish can also be dangerous if the cooking technology is not followed. If the fish has not been subjected to sufficient heat treatment, the risk of infection is very high. Tapeworm can also be found in everyone's favorite herring.
You should only buy fish from trusted sellers. It needs to be thoroughly examined. If you suspect that the fish is infected, you should refuse to purchase.
Can you get infected from dried or smoked fish?
Many people doubt whether it is possible to eat fish affected by this helminth? Tapeworm in dried fish comes in the form of eggs - a mature individual will not survive in such conditions, but the viability of the eggs is beyond doubt. Smoked meat lovers should also be careful. Sometimes processing is carried out in violation of technology and at an insufficiently high temperature. By eating such products, it is easy to become infected with tapeworm. Fish tapeworm can be found in herring, which is so popular due to its affordable cost.
Remember that you need to buy dried fish only from trusted sellers who have quality documents. Before use, carefully inspect the product.
What to do if you feel bad about throwing away your catch?
If it is a pity to part with the catch, the tapeworm can be neutralized by high-quality processing of the fish. To protect yourself from the penetration of parasites, you must adhere to certain rules. First of all, you need to thoroughly gut the carcass. Pay special attention to the tapeworm itself: all segments must be removed.
After this, choose one of the methods of processing the fish, in which the larvae are guaranteed to die:
- freeze at -20C (the carcass is kept in the freezer for at least 24 hours, ideally 3 days);
- pickle. Take salt at the rate of 1220% of the total weight of the fish. The time for complete salting out is 612 days, depending on the density of muscle tissue;
- cut into small pieces, cook for at least 30 minutes from the moment of boiling or fry for 1520 minutes on each side;
- bake over an open fire;
- smoke hot.
Viable larvae, invisible to the eye, can end up on hands and kitchen utensils. Hands, knives, cutting boards must be thoroughly washed with laundry soap.
Saltpeter fish is significantly inferior in taste and nutritional value to healthy individuals.
Note! The most dangerous in terms of tapeworm infection are dishes made from raw and lightly salted fish (sushi, stroganina and others), including caviar. This also includes cold smoked and dried fish. With weak salting and no heat treatment, plerocercoid larvae do not die and retain the ability to parasitize in the intestines of humans or animals, passing into the adult stage.
The fish tapeworm infects mainly representatives of the carp family, which are traditionally caught. Crucian carp and bream are especially vulnerable. In salt water the parasite occurs on a smaller scale. The most commonly caught sea creature is tapeworm pollock.
On a note! A representative of the cod family usually arrives in stores in a deep-frozen state; after heat treatment, it can be eaten. A person can become infected with a helminth only in one case: by eating fish whose muscle tissue contains plerocercoids. Prolonged heat treatment of fish and compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards will reduce the risk to a minimum.
And in conclusion, one more piece of advice: do not buy dried bream or cold smoked pike from random sellers. Along with a gastronomic delicacy, there is a high risk of introducing a fair amount of viable tapeworm larvae and other worms into the stomach.
Most people are aware of the possible presence of worms in their body or in the body of animals. A parasitic worm, also known as a helminth, lives in every third person. But few people know that the fish they eat can also contain this parasite.
Precautionary measures
Not in all cases it is possible to determine whether a fish is infected with tapeworm.
But the risk can be minimized if you listen to some advice and act with caution and prudence:
- Before purchasing fish, it is advisable to inspect it thoroughly visually. Its density and swelling should alert you.
- Even if it makes the work easier, it is not recommended to buy gutted fish. This makes it impossible to understand whether there was a worm in it.
- It is better to give preference to fish caught in an artificial reservoir. There she is mainly fed dry food, which minimizes the risk of her becoming infected with this terrible worm.
- Fish in which tapeworm was found during gutting should be disposed of immediately.
- Under no circumstances should you feed contaminated meat or fish to animals.
- It is imperative to wash with a saline or soda solution, then treat with vinegar all kitchen utensils that were used in processing the fish.
- It is not advisable to eat raw fish from the river.
- It is better not to purchase salted or dried fish if you are unsure of the quality and technology used to prepare and store it.
- To cook meat, you need to spend at least 30 minutes. Fry fish by thoroughly frying it on all sides. Each side of the fillet should be cooked over low heat for at least 20 minutes.
- Freezing fish will help avoid possible infection. It must be in the freezer for at least 48 hours.
- Salted fish should be kept in a salt solution for at least 2 weeks. But this cannot always save you from infection because the death of eggs, larvae and the parasite itself requires heat treatment or low sub-zero temperatures.
- Fish with obvious signs of the presence of worms in it is not suitable for hot, much less cold smoking.
- You should not choose places for fishing with a suspicious reputation or those where it is prohibited to do so.
Only a healthy and adequate approach to this issue will help avoid infection with this dangerous parasite.
Symptoms of human infection
In the first stages of tapeworm infection, a person may not feel any changes in his body. Tapeworm, unlike other helminths, has less effect on well-being, and therefore its presence in the body can go unnoticed for a long time. Mild symptoms of illness may be mistaken for another disease. Since the worm settles in the intestines, a person may experience problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
The main symptoms of tapeworm infection:
- loose stools or constipation that occurred suddenly and for no reason;
- increased salivation;
- dizziness;
- sudden weight loss;
- intestinal obstruction;
- irritability;
- a feeling that something is moving inside (it is not the parasite itself that is moving, but the muscles contracting under its influence);
- anemia;
- weakness and apathy;
- decreased appetite or, conversely, constant hunger;
- small red wounds appear on the tongue;
- gagging and nausea.
In some countries, tapeworm is specially introduced into the human body so that it helps quickly and effectively lose weight. Afterwards the parasite is removed. You should not do this intentionally, because helminth infection can lead to very serious health consequences.
Health Hazard
Humans are also susceptible to tapeworm infection. It occurs after ingesting fish meat that has not undergone heat treatment. First, the parasite larvae penetrate the stomach and then the intestines. The helminth attaches itself to the walls of the small intestine, where it can spend about 20 years. The tapeworm carries male and female cells, which means it is capable of reproduction. An adult tapeworm can release a huge number of larvae into the body.
Tapeworm infection can lead to the following complications:
- diphyllobothriasis, which can lead to intestinal blockage;
- necrosis and death of tissue at the site of attachment of the worm;
- anemia;
- allergic reaction;
- problems with the central nervous system;
- oncological diseases.
Treatment methods
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As a rule, getting rid of the parasite is not very difficult. You can be treated with traditional methods, or play it safe and immediately contact a qualified specialist. Drug treatment can only be prescribed by a doctor, based on the patient’s condition and his tolerance to the active components of the drug. In rare and advanced cases, it is necessary to resort to surgical intervention.
In drug treatment, drugs that include mebendazole, albendazole or carbendacim are most often prescribed. Excellent representatives of this group are: vermox, biltricide, sanoxal, medamine and many others. Depending on the choice of drug, treatment can take place with a single tablet or a course of up to 3-4 days. In rare cases, worms do not respond to drugs, and scientists still do not know the reason for this. The solution would be to repeat the course after 3 weeks; as a rule, this helps.
Surgery is required in extremely rare cases. The reason for this is an advanced form of infection, brain damage, or inflammation of the appendix due to the development of tapeworm.
Also, surgical intervention may be prescribed if drug treatment is contraindicated, when the parasite has settled in vital organs.
Traditional methods most often include treatment with raw garlic, raw unpeeled pumpkin seeds or castor oil. This method is used more to relieve symptoms rather than to completely cure the parasite.
Fish processing methods
After preparing the carcass, you can begin processing it.
The following types are acceptable:
- freezing - a temperature of –20°C for 3 days can destroy eggs;
- salting - the ratio between the amount of salt and the weight of the fish should be at least 12%, salting must be done for a week;
- frying , boiling - boil for 30 minutes or fry for 15 minutes;
- baking - over an open fire;
- smoking - hot for at least two hours.
You need to be prepared for the fact that the dish will taste different from a similar one prepared from normal meat. This is due to the fact that the parasite does not allow the bream to develop normally; accordingly, its tissues will be changed, which means the taste will be different.
Natural Methods to Get Rid of Tapeworm
Cook meat and fish thoroughly
Since eating raw or undercooked meat and fish is the most common cause of tapeworm infection, the best way to protect yourself is to thoroughly cook these foods before consuming them. Most experts recommend cooking animal products to at least 135 degrees Fahrenheit (57 degrees Celsius). Eggs in meat or fish also usually die at this temperature or when frozen for a long period (more than a few days). Unfortunately, drying or smoking meats and fish is usually not enough to kill all the eggs.
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Because freshwater fish often harbor tapeworm eggs, it is recommended that these fish should never be served raw (sushi style). Whenever you consume freshwater fish, make sure it is cooked and frozen long after it is caught. The best way to prevent tapeworm infection from animal products is to have a health consultant inspect the meat or fish before it goes to market, as cysts in meat/fish are often visible to the naked eye.
Cleansing from parasites
Eating well can help you overcome symptoms of a stomach infection and prevent complications. Eating a healthy diet can also reduce the likelihood of contracting the parasite as it helps boost your immunity and eliminates certain dangerous foods (such as pork).
It is recommended to follow the steps below for a parasite cleanse for a week, while consuming the anti-parasitic supplements listed below. After one week, continue to eat healthy foods, but take a 7-day break from taking supplements. Then, while maintaining a healthy diet, reintroduce supplements into your diet for another 2 weeks.
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Steps to cleanse your body of parasites:
Avoid pork products.
Pork can be a source of parasites and worms, so if you eat pork regularly, there is a high chance that you will ingest a parasite. We recommend that you remove all pork products from your diet.
Increase your consumption of organic vegetables.
Focus on eating salads, green vegetarian juices, soups or smoothies. Garlic, onions and herbs are especially useful. They have an immunostimulating and antiparasitic effect. Focus on including herbs and spices in your diet, such as oregano and ginger.
Avoid added sugar.
All the sugar and grains can cause gut imbalance and worsen inflammation. During the cleanse, we recommend “mimicking” a paleo-type diet.
Avoid refined carbohydrates and grains.
Many grains, especially wheat (which contains gluten), can quickly cause intestinal inflammation.
Reduce or eliminate fruit.
Stick to a maximum of one serving daily. However, papaya and papaya juice are an exception, as this fruit has natural anti-parasitic properties.
Consume coconut oil, meat and milk.
Make coconut smoothies with coconut milk or use pure coconut oil. Coconut oil has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. Consume chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, and bone broth for fiber and protein. Pumpkin seeds (along with pumpkin seed oil) are especially beneficial due to certain nutrients and anti-parasitic compounds they contain.
Consume only organic, grass-fed or pasture-raised meats.
Consume only wild-caught fish. It is recommended to avoid shellfish, which may contain high levels of heavy metals.
Consume probiotic foods.
These include kefir, sauerkraut and yogurt, which help improve gut health. Avoid processed foods and alcohol. They reduce the functioning of the immune system and make detoxification more difficult.
Antiparasitic Supplements
These supplements can help kill parasites as well as rid the body of toxins:
- Paracomplete: Parasite cleanse supplement that includes thyme leaf, berberine sulfate, oregano, grapefruit seed extract and uva ursi leaf. These herbs have natural antiparasitic, antifungal and antibacterial properties that have been used in traditional medicine systems for many years.
- Grapefruit Seed Extract (see dosage recommendations, which vary by concentration).
- Black walnut (250 mg three times daily): Historically used to treat parasites.
- Garlic: Use both raw garlic in recipes and garlic essential oil.
- Wormwood (200 mg three times daily)
- Oregano oil (500 mg four times daily): Antibacterial and antiparasitic. You can also use oregano essential oil to enhance detoxification.
- Olive Leaf: If you have access to an olive tree, you can use the leaves to make tea. Bake them at about 150 degrees until dry, immerse them in hot water for 10 minutes and drink a few cups a day with raw honey or lemon.
- Clove oil (500 mg four times daily or four cups of tea made with clove essential oil)
Improving detoxification with colonoscopy
Performing two to three colon cleanses per week for a month can help make your parasite cleanse more effective. Consider using a coffee enema or doing a salt water cleanse.
Factors and causes of risk
The most common cause of tapeworm infection in humans is the consumption of undercooked meat from an infected animal or freshwater fish.
Other risk factors include:
- Polluted water . If you have ever been to another country, such as China, India, Africa or Mexico, and drank water and then felt sick, there is a chance that you have contracted a parasite.
- Unbalanced intestinal flora
- Leaky gut syndrome
- Weakened immune system
A quick overview of how a parasitic tapeworm infection develops:
Tapeworms lay eggs that develop into tiny larvae, and these larvae can live in animal meat that humans then consume. After eating contaminated meat, the larvae can sometimes pass through the human digestive tract into the intestines, where they survive by consuming other food. Besides eating contaminated meat, it is less common but still possible to become infected with certain types of tapeworms from contact with a small amount of stool from another infected person. This is thought to occur with pig tapeworms. As described above, porcine tapeworm eggs (called proglottids) are passed into the stool. For example, when food is prepared by an infected person and that person does not wash their hands properly after using the toilet, tiny tapeworm eggs can land on the food and contaminate it. The eggs can then hatch in the intestines of the next person and survive. If left untreated, human waste or animal waste carrying tapeworm eggs can enter the environment and then be ingested by another host. Animals (especially horses, cattle and pigs) usually acquire tapeworms from grazing pastures or from drinking water. Fish can also become infected with tapeworms by eating small crustaceans that carry tapeworm eggs/cysts.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of people in the United States become infected with parasites, although they are usually unaware of it. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, travel to parts of Latin America, Eastern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, India and Asia can expose Americans to tapeworms and other parasitic infections that are then carried home. T. solium is responsible for 30 percent of epilepsy cases in many endemic areas where people and stray pigs live in close proximity. More than 80 percent of the world's 50 million people with epilepsy live in low- and middle-income countries. The tapeworms Taenia saginata and T. solium are the two most common tapeworms worldwide, especially in Eastern Europe, Russia, East Africa and Latin America.
The number of new cases of tapeworm infection in the United States each year is probably less than 1,000, but the exact number is unknown because many people are never diagnosed. The No. 1 places in the United States where tapeworms are found are places where livestock and people are concentrated, including on factory farms where meat is produced or in urban areas where sanitation is poor. U.S. feedlot workers are at greatest risk of tapeworm infection because they may be exposed to cattle feces. Restaurant workers who do not wash their hands properly are also at risk. Around the world, underdeveloped communities with poor sanitation and countries where people eat raw or undercooked pork have the highest rates of tapeworm disease. In the United States, tapeworm infections are most common among Hispanic immigrants. Tapeworms affect the digestive system, although they can also cause fatigue, muscle pain and cognitive changes. Some tapeworms can grow up to 25 meters in length, depending on the species.
Traditional Treatment for Tapeworm Symptoms
If the tapeworm symptoms described above are familiar to you, see your doctor for a stool sample and blood test. Stool samples can help identify the type of tapeworm that may be present, while blood tests show whether the infection is causing complications by detecting signs of increased inflammation and high levels of antibodies.
Doctors also look for signs of a tapeworm infection using a stool sample, finding either segments of the worm itself or tiny eggs. If it is suspected that the larva has migrated from the intestines and moved to another part of the body, your doctor can find out whether cysts are present by performing a CT scan or MRI.
Once diagnosed, doctors usually use medications to treat the infection. These may include:
- Antiparasitic drugs, including praziquantel
- Medicines to reduce inflammation and complications, including NSAIDs or corticosteroids such as prednisone
- If other symptoms or complications occur, such as nerve damage or digestive problems, various other medications and treatments may also be used, including anti-diarrhea medications or vitamin B12 and iron supplements.
How does a person become infected?
Infection of a person occurs only in the only case if you eat fish infected with tapeworm, which was poorly thermally processed or had weak salting. It is humans who act as the final host of the parasite, where it reaches sexual maturity. Broad tapeworm causes a disease called diphyllobothriasis.
It is worth noting that an infected person cannot infect another, since the parasite is dangerous only in the form in which it is present in the body of the fish.
Infection occurs only through consumption of poorly processed fish
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Safety measures against infection with fish diseases
To protect yourself from infection with fish diseases caused by parasites, you must follow the recommendations for preparing fish and personal hygiene when cutting:
- You cannot eat raw or half-raw fish, caviar, or planed fish.
- Carefully inspect the fish carcass when cutting, remove all visible parasites, thoroughly clean and rinse with running water. All tools used for cutting fish are also washed.
- Boil or fry the fish for at least 20 minutes at a temperature not lower than 100°C.
- Do not dry fish or salt it. Salt does not kill many pathogens.
Following simple rules will protect you from serious diseases. Fish will remain a healthy product and will not cause any harm.
