Among the variety of helminths, two species deserve special attention - these are bovine tapeworm and pork tapeworm. These parasites belong to the class of tape (flat) worms, which can easily infect the human body. Bull tapeworm and pork tapeworm go through almost the same life cycle, but at the same time they have many differences from each other.
Which worm is more dangerous
Infection of a human with a tapeworm can lead to more serious consequences than teniarinhoz - a type of helminthiasis, the causative agent of which is a bovine tapeworm. The thing is that most types of tapeworms, including bovine tapeworm and broad tapeworm, parasitize exclusively in the intestinal tract of their host. Pork tapeworm can penetrate into any internal organs, even into the brain. In severe cases, infection leads to disability and death. Moreover, it is not always the person who is the final owner of this parasite.
How infection occurs
Tapeworms are carried by livestock. Pigs, dogs, hares, rabbits, camels are intermediate hosts for tapeworm. Bull tapeworm is present in the muscles of cows and bulls. The risk of contracting helminths increases if you eat fat, poorly fried or undercooked meat with worm larvae. Having penetrated into the human body, they develop and turn into an adult hermaphrodite individual. Both tapeworm and bovine tapeworm reproduce sexually in the intestines.
Life cycle of helminths
Adult worms form eggs that are released into the environment along with the host's feces. Feces infected with eggs of the bovine tapeworm remain on the soil, grass, hay. Helminth eggs are not afraid of low temperatures, so they are quite capable of overwintering in the ground. However, they will not be able to live long under the influence of ultraviolet rays and heat.
Besides, tapeworm eggs are not able to survive in the human body, so at this stage of development the parasite is safe for humans. If cattle (for example, cows, bulls, buffaloes, deer) become the intermediate host of the ox tapeworm, then, being inside it, they will quickly reach the next phase of the life cycle. Worm larvae easily take root in the body of a cow. They seep through the walls of the intestines of the animal and are introduced into the bloodstream, spreading throughout the body and settling in the tissues. The pig tapeworm easily adapts to humans even at the stage of eggs, which eventually turn into larvae and, penetratinginto the bloodstream and distributed throughout the body. Subsequently, they can settle in the lungs or brain and cause death.
The next stage of the life cycle is the cysticercus. In this form, helminths enter the human body by eating infected, raw or undercooked meat. Unlike the larva, the cysticercus has a head with suckers, with which it is firmly fixed on the intestinal mucosa. From this moment on, a person becomes a carrier and the final owner of a bull tapeworm.
From a cysticercus to a sexually mature individual tapeworms turn in 2, 5-3 months. After that, the adult segments of the helminths separate and leave the human body along with the feces, and the life cycle of the parasites repeats from the beginning.
Structure and appearance of tapeworms
The hosts are not the only difference. Pork and bovine tapeworms have a difference in anatomical structure. The first parasite has a smaller head, on which, in addition to suckers, hooks are placed. The bovine tapeworm has only suckers, which is why it is often called the unarmed tapeworm, and the pork tapeworm is armed.
Helminths also differ in size. The length of an adult tapeworm rarely exceeds three meters, while the helminth, which is carried by cows, can reach 10 meters. Moreover, both worms have a jointed body. On the posterior segments of the parasites are eggs, which, as they mature, come off and come out. Bull tapeworm is a flatworm with segmentsdisconnected in turn. The segments of the pork tapeworm leave the adult individual at once in several pieces. These two varieties of helminths also have different reproductive systems. The ovary of a pork tapeworm contains three lobes, while that of a bovine tapeworm has two.
Beef and pork tapeworms are common in Africa, Latin America, Asia, Australia. In our country, these parasites are rarely found. In general, cases of infection with tapeworms occurred on the territory of the North Caucasus District, the Komi Republic, Altai Territory and in other regions.
What parasite can be confused with tapeworm
Flatworms have a lot in common not only with each other, but also with another type of tapeworm - a wide tapeworm. The life cycle of this parasite consists of the same stages. Unlike tapeworms, which settle in the body of livestock, tapeworms live in freshwater reservoirs. Their permanent and intermediate hosts are crustaceans, fish, mammals that feed on infected fish, and humans.
The life cycle of the broad tapeworm begins in a freshwater body of water. A favorable condition for the development of parasite eggs is a water temperature of at least +15°C. If the water is colder, the embryo will retain its viability, but until warming comes, it will not develop. He can remain in this state for several months.
In the warm season, larvae from eggs appear on the 6-16th day. The first hosts of parasites are copepods that swallow the larvae. In turn, fish that eat crustaceans become infected with a wide tapeworm. larvae,penetrating into all tissues and organs, after a few weeks they reach a length of 4 cm. The final owner of helminths is the one who has eaten infected raw or poorly cooked fish. In humans, a wide tapeworm lives in the small intestine. According to some reports, the length of an adult worm can reach 15 m.
Symptoms of taeniasis and taeniarhynchosis
Beef tapeworm, once in the human body, may not declare itself until such time as it begins to multiply. Teniosis is also asymptomatic - a type of helminthiasis, the causative agent of which is tapeworm. When worms turn from larvae into adults, patients experience the first manifestations of the disease. Tapeworms in humans provoke the following clinical picture:
- headaches, fatigue, sleep disturbances and other disorders of the nervous system;
- dyspeptic disorders (vomiting, heartburn, diarrhea, intestinal obstruction);
- acute or muted abdominal pain without clear localization;
- deterioration of appetite or, conversely, a constant feeling of hunger;
- increased body temperature;
- skin rash.
Infection with any helminths, including tapeworms, is evidenced by the release of parasite segments through the rectum along with feces. The symptoms of tapeworms in humans also include itching in the anus, disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract, constipation, frequent vomiting, and constipation. Intoxication of the body with the waste products of parasites leads to general weakness, loss of strength, dizziness, nausea.and drooling profusely.
Diagnostic Methods
In the initial stages, it is almost impossible to recognize any type of helminthiasis due to the absence of symptoms. But even when the disease makes itself felt, its pronounced signs are not always mistaken for manifestations of helminthic invasion. In addition, the symptoms of teniosis and teniarhynchosis are typical, they have much in common with the clinical picture of many other diseases, ranging from the common cold and intestinal infection to periods of exacerbation in chronic diseases of the digestive system.
To exclude infection with bovine or pork tapeworm, a comprehensive diagnosis will be required. To establish an accurate diagnosis, the doctor must interview the patient, clarify whether he ate raw or uncooked meat. Mandatory research methods for suspected worms are:
- laboratory analysis of feces;
- scraping from the surface of the anus to detect segments of the parasite;
- complete blood count (indicators of anemia, leukopenia and eosinophilia are additional confirmation of the presence of helminths in the body);
- detection of adults using contrast radiography.
If you do not start treatment of helminthic invasion on time, complications such as intestinal obstruction, peritonitis, pancreatitis, inflammation of appendicitis and acute cholecystitis are possible. Most often, patients are given a favorable prognosis for recovery.
Is it possible to get rid of pork and bovine tapeworms with pills
Today, almost all types of helminthic invasions can be treated, even if we are talking about real giants - multi-meter tapeworms. At the same time, it is important to understand that therapy will bring the expected effect only with an integrated approach in the selection and use of traditional modern medicine.
The main emphasis in the treatment of helminthiases is on the use of powerful antiparasitic and antiallergic drugs. In parallel with the drugs of these groups, patients are prescribed additional funds to eliminate the symptoms and consequences of worm damage - an acute reaction of the body to toxic waste products of pork or bovine tapeworm.
Biltricide
This is one of the most common drugs that are prescribed to patients with diagnosed taeniasis and taeniarhynchosis. Treatment with the drug "Biltricid" is not carried out at an early age (children under four years old), during pregnancy and lactation. Although bovine and porcine tapeworms are one of the indications for the use of these antihelminthic tablets, they are not prescribed if the parasites are localized in the brain or organs of vision.
The active substance of the drug is pyrazinisoquinoline. Tablets "Biltricid" are taken after meals with a large volume of water. An interval of 4-6 hours must be observed between each dose of the medicine.
Niclosamide
This antihelminthic medication is available in tablet and powder form. Welltreatment of teniasis or teniarhynchosis is usually four days. Together with Niclosamide, laxatives are used - this is necessary for the speedy cleansing of the body of toxins. Also, taking the medicine requires a diet based on the use of liquid and easily digestible foods, fresh vegetables, fruits and juices.
Vermox
This is a broad spectrum antihelminthic with mebendazole that can handle both roundworms and tapeworms. The drug is produced in the form of tablets and liquid suspension for children over 2 years old. Contraindications to Vermox treatment are pregnancy, lactation, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.
This drug is not absorbed in the intestines, so it leaves the body naturally unchanged. To cure pork or bovine tapeworm, the medicine is taken twice. After the first course, it is necessary to take a break (2-4 weeks). Vermox is often prescribed as a preventative measure to prevent helminthiasis in the rest of the family.
Albendazole
The strongest antiparasitic drug, which is produced under various trade names. The active ingredient of the same name albendazole helps to stop the metabolic processes in the body of the worm, which ultimately leads to its paralysis and death. The use of this drug is possible without dieting and taking laxatives. The main disadvantage of Albendazole is the high likelihood of side effects in the formnausea, vomiting, stool disorders.
What to do in order not to get infected with a tapeworm
Unpleasant meeting with bull or pork tapeworms can be avoided. To protect the body from parasites, it is necessary to observe the principles of elementary hygiene. Remember a few simple rules and never neglect them in your daily life:
- always wash hands with soap;
- use only purified water;
- vegetables and fruits before eating thoroughly wash and preferably pour boiling water;
- do not swim in dirty water;
- refuse from minimally cooked dishes, half-cooked meat products;
- disinfect children's toys after playing outdoors;
- periodically vaccinate pets, livestock.
The most effective and at the same time the easiest way to deal with any parasites is to prevent and maintain immunity. But if the first symptoms of tapeworms appear, a person needs to see a doctor as soon as possible, undergo an examination and begin treatment. There is no universal remedy for tapeworms, besides, each case is individual, so specialists should deal with the selection of drugs. It is impossible to self-treat with antihelminthic drugs or take them for the purpose of prevention. These are dangerous and toxic medicines that can cause a lot of harm to he alth if the dosage or application is incorrect.
