Random News - orms, cestodes, or tapeworms are acrylated hermaphrodite parasites that can live as parasitic adults in the human gastrointestinal tract. Some of these organisms are primarily human pathogens while others have as natural hosts some animals, although they may also cause infection in humans.
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Basically these organisms are composed of head, neck and a segmented body. The head, also known as the scolex, is provided with suction cups, hooks or grooves (depending on the species) through which the worm adheres or anchors to the host intestine.
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The tapeworm or solitary
One of the most common infections is the tapeworm or solitary. There are two main types of tapeworm species for which we humans are the obligatory final hosts: Tenia saginata, the bovine worm, and Tenia solium or solitary, the worm of the pigs.
Tenia solium is highly endemic in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia due to the high frequency of undercooked pork and poor sanitation.
Pigs acquire the infection through food or water contaminated by infected human faeces. Thus, in rural communities where pigs roam freely and soil contamination with human feces is common, the ideal conditions for the transmission of infection are given.
The Tenia saginata appears worldwide, but is more common in areas such as Europe and parts of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where it is customary to eat undercooked beef.
All humans of any age can be infected with tapeworm species, although infection is rare in children who do not usually eat meat.
Life cycle
The adult forms of the tapeworm species are 10-12 meters long, but cases have been seen that reach up to 25 meters. The life cycle of these organisms begins with the ingestion by humans of undercooked meat containing structures called cystitis.
These are the cysts of larvae that usually measure 5 x 10mm and contain liquid and structures called protocólices. After ingestion, the protocytes are released from the cysts and anchored to the intestinal wall through suction cups and furrows. Each protocólice becomes the head of an adult worm that develops forming proglótides or segments that are born of the distal part of the escólex or head.
The tapeworm or solitary
One of the most common infections is the tapeworm or solitary. There are two main types of tapeworm species for which we humans are the obligatory final hosts: Tenia saginata, the bovine worm, and Tenia solium or solitary, the worm of the pigs.
Tenia solium is highly endemic in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia due to the high frequency of undercooked pork and poor sanitation.
Pigs acquire the infection through food or water contaminated by infected human faeces. Thus, in rural communities where pigs roam freely and soil contamination with human feces is common, the ideal conditions for the transmission of infection are given.
The Tenia saginata appears worldwide, but is more common in areas such as Europe and parts of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where it is customary to eat undercooked beef.
All humans of any age can be infected with tapeworm species, although infection is rare in children who do not usually eat meat.
Life cycle
The adult forms of the tapeworm species are 10-12 meters long, but cases have been seen that reach up to 25 meters. The life cycle of these organisms begins with the ingestion by humans of undercooked meat containing structures called cystitis.
These are the cysts of larvae that usually measure 5 x 10mm and contain liquid and structures called protocólices. After ingestion, the protocytes are released from the cysts and anchored to the intestinal wall through suction cups and furrows. Each protocólice becomes the head of an adult worm that develops forming proglótides or segments that are born of the distal part of the escólex or head.
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This maturation takes place in the human intestine over a period of 2-4 months. Proglottids contain abundant eggs that are removed by faeces and can remain viable for long periods of time in water, soil and vegetation.
When they are ingested by an intermediary host (pork or beef) the eggs are broken in the intestine and release their embryos that pass through the intestinal wall and travel through the blood and lymph to the muscles, subcutaneous tissues and other Organs. In these tissues the embryos develop in cisticercos during a period of 2-3 months. When humans ingest the flesh (muscles) of animals containing cysticerci, the life cycle of these organisms is completed.
What symptoms does it produce?
Most people carrying these worms are asymptomatic, meaning they do not notice anything. Patients may eject proglottids intermittently through their feces and may then notice the segment of the worm when they go to the bathroom or feel the spontaneous movement of the proglottids through the anus.
Non specific gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, loss of appetite or pain in the mouth of the stomach, or others such as anxiety, headache, dizziness and hives or skin rash may also occur.
What is the diagnosis?
The diagnosis of this disease is often based on the patient's description of the expulsion of the moving segments of proglottids, but confirmation and differentiation of the species requires further testing, such as microscopic analysis of eggs or proglottids in Feces or some immunological methods in the patient's blood.
Treatment
The treatment of choice is currently being performed with a drug called pracicuantel. Alternatively, another drug called Niclosamide may be used.
After treatment, stool should be checked at 3 months to check for remaining eggs and complete cure.
Can infection be prevented?
The main means of prevention of this type of infections consist in the proper cooking of the meat, reaching temperatures higher than 56º C for at least 5 minutes, refrigeration or salting for long periods of time as well as freezing of food.
General prevention measures include inspection of animals (calves, pigs) and the correct disposal of human faeces.
This maturation takes place in the human intestine over a period of 2-4 months. Proglottids contain abundant eggs that are removed by faeces and can remain viable for long periods of time in water, soil and vegetation.
When they are ingested by an intermediary host (pork or beef) the eggs are broken in the intestine and release their embryos that pass through the intestinal wall and travel through the blood and lymph to the muscles, subcutaneous tissues and other Organs. In these tissues the embryos develop in cisticercos during a period of 2-3 months. When humans ingest the flesh (muscles) of animals containing cysticerci, the life cycle of these organisms is completed.
What symptoms does it produce?
Most people carrying these worms are asymptomatic, meaning they do not notice anything. Patients may eject proglottids intermittently through their feces and may then notice the segment of the worm when they go to the bathroom or feel the spontaneous movement of the proglottids through the anus.
Non specific gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, loss of appetite or pain in the mouth of the stomach, or others such as anxiety, headache, dizziness and hives or skin rash may also occur.
What is the diagnosis?
The diagnosis of this disease is often based on the patient's description of the expulsion of the moving segments of proglottids, but confirmation and differentiation of the species requires further testing, such as microscopic analysis of eggs or proglottids in Feces or some immunological methods in the patient's blood.
Treatment
The treatment of choice is currently being performed with a drug called pracicuantel. Alternatively, another drug called Niclosamide may be used.
After treatment, stool should be checked at 3 months to check for remaining eggs and complete cure.
Can infection be prevented?
The main means of prevention of this type of infections consist in the proper cooking of the meat, reaching temperatures higher than 56º C for at least 5 minutes, refrigeration or salting for long periods of time as well as freezing of food.
General prevention measures include inspection of animals (calves, pigs) and the correct disposal of human faeces.
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