This article was medically reviewed by Victor Catania, MD. Dr. Catania is a board certified Family Medicine Physician in Pennsylvania. He received his MD from the Medical University of the Americas in 2012 and completed his residency in Family Medicine at the Robert Packer Hospital. He is a member of the American Board of Family Medicine.
There are 22 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
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Research suggests that humans may get tapeworms from eating undercooked beef or pork, as well as contaminated water or fish. After you ingest the tapeworm egg or larvae, it may latch onto your intestines. Experts say that symptoms are usually mild or go unnoticed, so you might not even realize you're infected.[1] However, you may develop symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, lack of appetite, dizziness, salt cravings, weakness, and weight loss. Try not to worry about tape worms, but visit your doctor if you think you might have one.
Steps
Diagnosing a Tapeworm Infection
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1Evaluate your surroundings, as well as any recent travel. Tapeworms exist worldwide, but infection rates vary widely between countries. While more than 10 million people are infected each year,[2] less than 1,000 cases are estimated to occur annually in the United States.[3] Different species of tapeworms reside in different species of animals.
- Pork and beef tapeworms are most commonly found in developing areas of the world such as Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America, and especially where free-ranging pigs are common.[4]
- Beef tapeworms are also more common in areas such as Eastern Europe, Russia, Eastern Africa, and Latin America where raw beef is sometimes consumed.[5]
- Fish tapeworms are more common in areas where people eat raw fish, including Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and Japan.[6]
- Dwarf tapeworms are transmitted between humans, especially among children, in regions where sanitation is poor, or where humans are living in dense conditions.[7]
- Dog tapeworms occasionally find human hosts.[8]
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2Review your recent diet. Infections typically occur following consumption of raw or undercooked meat from an infected animal. Tapeworms can also be transmitted through meat that has been prepared by an infected individual.[9]
- Have you consumed any raw or undercooked meat?
- Have you been to an area where food is being prepared in unsanitary conditions?
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4Evaluate whether you have additional symptoms of tapeworm infection. Common symptoms include digestive problems such as abdominal pain, weakness, loss of appetite, weight loss, diarrhea, and nausea. However, these symptoms can indicate many other possible conditions. Remember, too, that a tapeworm infection may not cause any symptoms.[14]
- While uncommon, tapeworm infection can also cause the following serious symptoms: fever; cystic masses or lumps; allergic reactions to tapeworm larvae; bacterial infections; or neurological signs and symptoms, including seizures. These symptoms sometimes develop when infections are left untreated, so it's important to seek treatment even for less serious symptoms.
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5Visit your physician. In order to properly diagnose a tapeworm infection, your doctor will need to administer a stool sample analysis. This will help to rule out or determine the type of tapeworm and will determine the proper medicine(s).[15]
Treating Tapeworms
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1Receive a prescription from your physician. After your doctor or physician has diagnosed you with a tapeworm infection, he or she will prescribe an oral medication. Tapeworms are treated with three common prescriptions: praziquantel, albendazole, and nitazoxanide. The variety your doctor prescribes will depend upon the type of infection you have contracted. [18]
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2Follow the prescribed regimen. In addition to properly taking your medication, it is important to avoid reinfecting yourself (or infecting others). Tapeworm medications do not affect the parasites' eggs, so you can reintroduce the infection if you neglect good bathroom and kitchen hygiene.[19]
- If more serious infection such as cysticercosis is involved, your doctor may recommend a longer and more involved treatment regimen. Treatment may include prescription drugs, anti-inflammatory, and anti-epileptic therapy, or surgery.[20]
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3Confirm that the infection is gone. Your physician will want to re-evaluate you after you have been taking your medication for some time. Depending on the severity of the infection, this can be anywhere from one to three months after you begin treatment.
- Prescription medication is 85 to 100 percent effective. Effectiveness depends on the type of tapeworm and the location of the infection.[21]
Preventing Tapeworms
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1Avoid raw meat. Many different species that humans eat carry tapeworms, including cattle, pigs, fish, sheep, goats, and rabbits. Eliminating raw or undercooked meat from your diet is the easiest way to avoid infection.[22]
- Note that poultry tapeworms do exist, but are not common in modern farming facilities because they require an intermediate insect host such as an earthworm or beetle.
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2Cook meat properly. When cooking whole cuts of meat such as steaks or chops, be sure that the internal temperature of the meat reaches at least 145 °F (63 °C). Ground meat should be cooked to an internal temperatures of 160 °F (71 °C).[23]
- Freezing meat and fish at a temperature below 14 °F ( -10 °C) for at least 48 hours will also kill tapeworm eggs and larvae.[24]
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3Disinfect fruit and vegetables when traveling in areas where tapeworms are more common. Chemical solutions can be purchased to sanitize fruit and vegetables, or you can simply wash them thoroughly with safe (boiled) water.[25]
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4Wash your hands properly before preparing and eating food, and after handling raw meat or fish. This will make sure that any eggs or larvae on your hands are not transferred into your food or digestive system. You'll also avoid infecting other people.[26]
- Make sure to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds. Try humming either the alphabet song or "Happy Birthday to You" twice to ensure you're washing for an adequate length of time.
References
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/taeniasis/gen_info/faqs.html
- ↑ http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs376/en/
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/taeniasis/gen_info/faqs.html#common
- ↑ https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/taeniasis-cysticercosis
- ↑ https://www.msdmanuals.com/professional/infectious-diseases/cestodes-tapeworms/taenia-saginata-beef-tapeworm-infection
- ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001375.htm
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/dpdx/dipylidium/index.html
- ↑ http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Tapeworm-infections/Pages/Causes.aspx
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/cysticercosis/index.html
- ↑ http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/taeniasis/gen_info/faqs.html
- ↑ https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/786292-clinical#showall
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/taeniasis/health_professionals/index.html
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/taeniasis/diagnosis.html
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/taeniasis/gen_info/faqs.html
- ↑ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/worms-in-humans/
- ↑ https://myhealth.alberta.ca/health/Pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=aa80714
- ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001375.htm
- ↑ https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/infections/parasitic-infections-cestodes-tapeworms/tapeworm-infection
- ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001391.htm
- ↑ https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/infections/parasitic-infections-cestodes-tapeworms/tapeworm-infection
- ↑ http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/786292-treatment
- ↑ https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/786292-overview#a6
- ↑ https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/safe-minimum-cooking-temperature
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/trichinellosis/gen_info/faqs.html
- ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/tapeworm.html
- ↑ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/worms-in-humans/
About This Article
If you need to get rid of tapeworms in a person, visit a doctor for a prescription right away. The medication will remove adult tapeworms, but it will not affect the eggs, so you’ll need to take precautions to prevent re-infection. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water several times a day, especially before you cook or after you use the bathroom. Also, do not eat raw meat, since that can be a source of tapeworms. Keep reading for more advice from our medical reviewer on how to prevent tapeworms!
Medical Disclaimer
The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.
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