The Sheep Brainworm is an extremely dangerous parasite from the class of Tapeworms. It affects the central nervous system of humans and animals, causing cysts to form in the brain and spinal cord. In humans, this helminth is quite rare, more often it lives in the body of sheep and dogs. However, the possibility of human infection cannot be completely ruled out. Such a helminth invasion without treatment has an extremely unfavorable prognosis, and most often only surgery can save the patient's life.
Description of pathogen
The body of an adult sheep brain reaches a size of 50 cm. Like many other tapeworms, its body consists of many segments. At one end of the body is a head (scolex), equipped with hooks. With their help, the parasite is attached to the intestinal walls of the final host.
larvahelminth exists in the form of a cyst. It looks like a bubble, inside of which there are scolexes. Such formations are called tsenura. Inside each bubble there can be from several pieces to hundreds of heads. The size of the cyst is 2-6 cm.
Cenures are very stable. They can live in the brain of a dead animal for up to 7 days at positive temperatures and up to 3 days at frost.
Life cycle
Adult helminths parasitize in the body of their final hosts: wolves, foxes, dogs and other members of the canine family. In this case, the parasite resides in the intestines and its eggs are shed in the faeces.
Who is the intermediate host of the sheep brain? Most often they are sheep, cows, goats and other domestic ruminants, in very rare cases - people. In intermediate hosts, not adults of the worm live in the body, but larvae that form coenurs.
Definitive hosts excrete parasite eggs along with feces into the environment. From there they enter the intermediate hosts. Cattle and small cattle become infected by eating contaminated grass or drinking water.
After the helminth egg enters the body of the intermediate host, the cycle of development of the sheep brain begins. The parasite enters the intestines, then with the help of special devices enters the bloodstream. Helminth eggs are carried to all organs, but their main target is the brain and spinal cord. It is there that the larva comes out, which then forms a cyst. In goats, cenura may not occuronly in the brain, but also in other organs.
Animals of the canine family become infected by eating the heads of dead sheep. In the body of dogs, foxes and wolves, the larva turns into an adult and parasitizes in the intestines. The helminth lays eggs that are passed out in the feces. After that, the life cycle of the sheep brain is repeated.
This helminth very rarely chooses a human as an intermediate host. After all, in this case, the development cycle of the parasite is interrupted. Humans do not shed either eggs or parasite larvae. The cenura is located in the human brain and never develops into an adult.
Routes of infection
How does a person become infected with sheep brain eggs? Humans get infected through contact with sick dogs. This often happens with poor hand washing. Touching objects contaminated with animal feces can infect a person.
You can also get infected when stroking a dog. Helminth eggs are also found on the tongue and fur of animals. Of course, pets rarely have such a parasite. But stray dogs may well become infected by eating sheep.
It is important to remember that the sheep brain is an extremely dangerous parasite. The formation of cysts in the brain is accompanied by severe neurological symptoms. The risk of death is very high.
Symptomatics in animals
What disease does the sheep brain cause in sheep? In the people, this disease is called "whirlwind", and in medicine and veterinary medicine -coenurosis. An infected animal makes strange and senseless movements in a circle. It is with this that the household name of the disease is connected. This symptom is a consequence of the formation of cysts in the brain and spinal cord. Other manifestations of invasion in farm animals are also noted:
- disorientation;
- loss of coordination;
- head up;
- convulsions;
- shyness (at the initial stage of the disease).
Sick sheep, goats and cows die a few months after infection. Only surgical removal of the coenura from the brain can save the animals.
In dogs, coenurosis occurs as an intestinal helminthic invasion. No animal deaths from this disease have been reported. Conventional anthelmintic therapy helps to get rid of the parasite. Coenurosis is dangerous only for small puppies; in young puppies, helminths can cause intestinal obstruction.
Symptoms in humans
People very rarely suffer from coenurosis. But this disease is just as dangerous for them as it is for sheep. Without treatment, this pathology is fatal.
The first signs of the disease occur 2-3 months after the ingestion of sheep brain eggs. The leading symptom of the disease is a constant headache. A cyst in the brain presses on its membranes and leads to intracranial hypertension. The pain is bursting in nature and is accompanied by the following pathological manifestations:
- nausea and vomiting;
- dizzy;
- convulsions;
- disorientation in space;
- passing out.
Severity of symptoms increases as the cyst grows.
If a coenura forms in the spinal cord, then pain in the neck and spine, dysfunction of the pelvic organs, difficulty walking and movement disorders are noted.
Diagnosis
A person does not always associate headaches with a parasitic disease. Moreover, after contact with a sick dog, several months pass before the first signs of pathology appear. Diagnosis of coenurosis is a rather difficult task. After all, such a parasite cannot be detected in the analysis of feces, like ordinary intestinal worms.
When diagnosing coenurosis, the following studies are prescribed:
- Ultrasound of the brain;
- MRI and CT of the spinal cord and brain;
- echoencephalogram.
Using these methods, the presence of a cyst and its localization can be detected.
It is necessary to conduct a thorough neurological examination of the patient. With coenurosis, the patient is determined by the tension of the muscles of the back of the head. A Kerning test is performed: the doctor bends the patient's leg at the knee and hip joint. With coenurosis, the patient cannot straighten the limb on his own. This is a sign of irritation of the meninges.
Treatment
Treatment of coenurosis is carried out by surgical methods. The doctor removes a cyst with a helminth from the patient's brain. This is the most effective treatment that radically rids a person of the parasite.
But there are timeswhen severe neurosurgical operation is contraindicated for the patient. Then the patient is prescribed anthelmintic drugs:
- "Biltricid";
- "Albendazole";
- "Fenbendazole;
- "Niclosamide".
These drugs kill the parasite inside the cyst. At the same time, a course of therapy with corticosteroid hormones is carried out to prevent inflammation and allergic reactions.
Prevention
Cenurosis is easier to prevent than to cure. To avoid such a dangerous disease, it is necessary to observe personal hygiene and caution when in contact with dogs. Contact with stray animals is best avoided.
The heads of farm animals that died from coenurosis are supposed to be burned and buried deep in the ground. This is done so that dogs, wolves and foxes cannot eat them. Thus, further spread of the invasion is prevented.
Despite the fact that domestic dogs rarely suffer from coenurosis, they are recommended to periodically undergo a course of deworming. This will help to avoid many dangerous parasitic diseases that can be transmitted to humans.
