BULLET CHAIN - Human Symptoms And Treatment

2023 Author: Riley Dean | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 08:37

Features of bovine chain

Content

• 1 Parasite morphology
• 2 Differences with dwarf tapeworm
• 3 Development cycle
• 4 Bovine tapeworm infection
• 5 Teniarinhoz
• 6 Child infection
• 7 Identification of tapeworm in the body
• 8 Fighting the parasite
• 9 Treatment with alternative methods
• 10 Preventive measures

Bovine tapeworm, Taeniarhynchus saginatus, is a tapeworm of the Taenia family, which, like other parasites in the bovine tapeworm family, can cause an infectious disease called taeniasis. A specific pathology, the cause of the defeat of which is this particular parasite, is called teniarinhoses.

Teniidosis affects people in different parts of the world. Most often, outbreaks of teniarhynchiasis and other pathologies are recorded in:

• Azerbaijan;
• Armenia;
• Eastern Europe;
• Equatorial Africa;
• Argentina;
• Brazil.

Parasite morphology

The tapeworm morphology is quite characteristic and differs from other tapeworms. This parasite is capable of growing to huge sizes: up to 13 meters long, up to a centimeter wide and up to 3 mm thick. Representatives were found whose length was more than 20 meters. Now imagine such dimensions in relation to the human body.

The parasite body consists of 3 sections:

• Scolex. This is the head of the worm, which reaches up to 3 mm in diameter. There are 4 suction cups on it, which serve as the fixing organs in the host's organs (most often this is the intestinal cavity). Unlike other parasites (and one of the related representatives of the porcine tapeworm), the tapeworm does not have hooks on its head. The eggs of pork and bovine tapeworms are very similar, almost indistinguishable. Tapeworm eggs are round or oval in shape; outside they are covered with a thin shell that has no color. These eggs contain larvae / oncospheres. They are surrounded by a double-circuit yellow-brownish shell, which undergoes destruction after the eggs come out. Oncospheres have 3 pairs of hooks on the scolex.
• Neck.
• Strobila. It consists of a chain of segments or so-called proglottids. These segments are filled with eggs. The production of new segments occurs on the neck (this is the area of active growth in the worm). Due to this growth, mature proglottids are pushed to the back of the parasite's body and then they break off. So the eggs that are in them are released. This process plays an important role in the complex mechanism of the parasite's vital activity. An adult bovine tapeworm can have up to 2000 proglottids.

Sexually mature tapeworm has a ribbon-like and flatish body. This is an important factor for optimizing the absorption of beneficial elements from the host intestine. The digestive system of the tapeworm is atrophied (mouth, anus and gastrointestinal tract are completely absent). The process of nutrition occurs through the absorption of carbohydrate substances (polysaccharides are used first, in most cases glucose, since it is important for maintaining the life of the tapeworm) through the flat membranes on the parasite's body. The parasite does not have a cavity body.

Bull tapeworms are very tenacious. They can live fully in the digestive tract for about 30 years. In addition, tapeworm is considered the largest helminth in the group of tapeworms.

Differences with dwarf tapeworm

The first and obvious point is size. This parasite is much smaller than the tapeworm, its size usually does not exceed a couple of centimeters. The dwarf tapeworm tends to change hosts and the human body can be intermediate. A different number of identical parasites can live in the human body. This is due to the fact that with each act of excretion of feces, the eggs come out. They can ripen and become adults right in the intestinal cavity. Initially, cysticercoids are formed, then sexually mature individuals. As a result, it turns out that due to the development of worms, a person constantly self-infects.

What is characteristic, when infected with a dwarf tapeworm, cases of self-healing were observed. This phenomenon is associated with the acquisition of immunity to the parasite. This is completely impossible with a bovine tapeworm. Dwarf tapeworm is the causative agent of a completely different pathology - hymenolepiasis, it has nothing to do with teniarinhoses.

Development cycle

It consists of several stages:

1. The segments or proglottids located in the intestinal cavity of the host are excreted into the external environment along with the course of feces. Inside each segment there are thousands of eggs with invasive larvae inside.
2. The segments can move for some time in the ground and grass, thus carrying the larvae. Cows and bulls eat the infected grass. So parasites enter the digestive tract of intermediate hosts.
3. Due to the action of acidic and enzymatic substances in the intestinal cavity, the egg cyst is destroyed and an immature larva emerges from it (they are also called oncospheres). The larva damage the epithelial intestinal walls and enter the bloodstream through the wounds. Together with its current, they move along the rest of the organs of the intermediate host. When the oncosphere enters the muscle tissue, it begins to fill with a liquid substance and transforms into a cysticercus (Finnu).
4. The final host is a person who ate meat products affected by larvae. Thus, parasites enter the intestinal cavity. Under the influence of the enzyme components of the intestine, cysticercus is destroyed and parasites spread throughout the organ. Due to the scolex turned inside out, they are almost immediately fixed on the intestinal walls.
5. After that, the bull chains begin to mature. The neck and scolex grow especially intensively, because of this, the number of new segments increases. Eggs ripen in them in the same way, which pass the same path of development.

Bovine tapeworm infection

As is already known, multiple Finns enter the human body through the consumption of beef that has not passed veterinary control or has not been thermally processed well enough. It takes up to 4 months from the primary infection with the parasite to the full maturation of the bovine tapeworm. Most often, parasites are present in the host's body in the singular. Rarely were patients found with two or more tapeworms inside.

Children are more prone to being affected by the parasite than adults. This location is due to the peculiarities of the children's diet. Also, people who work in meat processing plants, slaughterhouses or food establishments are at a higher risk of infection. Employees of these institutions and cooks are affected by tapeworm more often than other people.

Teniarinhoz

Bovine tapeworm infection

A tapeworm called bovine tapeworm mechanically acts on the cavity of the small intestine. This effect occurs due to irritation of the nerve endings of the intestinal mucosa by suckers and segments of the parasite. When proglottids pass through the ileocecal valve (which separates the cavities of the small and large intestine), a person develops severe pain, which in its specifics resembles labor pains. If the parasite lives in the host's body for a long time, the latter may disrupt the secretory and motor function of the gastrointestinal tract.

The large absorbing surface of the body provides the parasite's body with a huge amount of nutrients that are needed for human life. Due to this lack of nutrition, the owner constantly feels severe hunger. Bovine tapeworm can produce a special antigen, the action of which stimulates the appearance of allergic reactions. The psychological effect of the parasite on a person also plays an important role. When living segments of the bovine tapeworm crawl out of the anus, a person feels severe discomfort and disgust.

Most often, people infected with bovine tapeworms are unaware of the presence of parasites, since no negative symptoms appear. The exceptions are those situations when the parasite has grown to a large size.

There is a certain set of symptoms that are almost always present with bovine tapeworm lesions. Signs of infection include:

• The anus area is constantly itching and there is a feeling that something is moving there;
• Appetite grows (sometimes it can greatly weaken);
• Pain in the intestines (paroxysmal);
• Constipation and diarrhea;
• Migraine headaches and dizziness;

• Breathing problems;

  

• Weight loss;
• Malaise;
• Anemia;
• Rashes on the body as in urticaria;
• Noise in ears;
• Bleeding from the nasal cavity;
• Flash in the eyes.

The danger of teniarchinosis, like in other parasitic pathologies, consists in the development of various complications. The most common are:

1. Inflammation of the appendix (acute);
2. Peritoneal abscess;
3. Inflammation of the gallbladder;
4. Intestinal obstruction (appears if there are a lot of parasites and they clog the lumens);
5. Segments getting into the middle ear and respiratory tract.

The disease is especially dangerous for pregnant women. In them it can cause:

• Miscarriages;
• Early childbirth;
• Anemia;
• Severe toxicosis.

Patients often find segments of bovine tapeworms in their feces. Proglottids can also come out of the anus and crawl along the legs. Most often this happens during the day, the patient seems to be tickled. Hyperconcentration of immunoglobulins and eosinophils can become a sign of infection with parasites.

An important feature and difference between the pork tapeworm and the bovine tapeworm is that if a person swallows the larvae of the parasite in eggs, then there is no cisteric stage. For this reason, bovine tapeworm is considered less dangerous to humans. Church parasites do not enter the central nervous system and other organs, they do not develop into multiple subcutaneous cystic formations.

Child infection

If the bovine tapeworm struck a child, the process of the parasite's stay in the body and the symptoms are very acute. The younger the child's age, the more difficult the helminthic pathology is. Most of the young patients experience severe pain, which is localized in the umbilical region. Sometimes pains migrate and travel to other areas. Children often say that pain is accompanied by clicks, rumbling in the abdomen. If the child is older, he may have helminthiasis by frequent belching after eating, paroxysmal nausea and poor appetite. If the disease is difficult, vitamin deficiency and general depletion of the body may appear. As a result of such processes, the patient appears:

• Constant thirst;
• Feeling of dryness of the mucous membranes;
• Red tinge on the tongue;
• Myalgia, weakness, intense convulsive contractions;
• Tingling sensation in the limbs.

Children often develop digestive disorders and hypersalivation. Psychoemotional disorders are also observed. With helminthiasis, the child is usually irritable, uncoordinated and does not sleep well. If the disease is not treated, the parasite begins to poison the body and allergies and intoxication appear.

Identification of tapeworm in the body

As already mentioned, infection with bovine tapeworm is usually not accompanied by severe symptoms, for this reason it is very difficult to timely identify the disease and make a correct diagnosis. Parasites are determined using the following diagnostic methods:

• Research: blood (general and biochemistry, reveals leukopenia and anemia), coprogram and scraping from the anus fold;
• X-ray analysis (the parasite is visually viewed in the intestinal cavity).

Determination of tapeworm occurs through ovoscopic examination. Usually, such a study is carried out in conjunction with differential diagnosis (to separate teniosis and tenirinhosis).

Differential diagnosis is also necessary to determine teniasis or diphyllobothriasis. Microscopic examination reveals the segments and the uterine organ with lateral branches (a symptom of tapeworm larvae).

Fighting the parasite

Medicines for the parasite

Therapeutic measures for the defeat of the bovine tapeworm usually consist in taking anthelmintic drugs, as well as monitoring the hygiene of underwear, personal hygiene. With helminthiasis, nutrition also plays an important role. During treatment, the patient will need to exclude the consumption of starchy foods and sweets. After undergoing drug treatment, the patient will need to regularly do coprograms for the next 6 months to exclude repeated infections.

Anthelmintic drugs are combined with cleansing the intestinal cavity with enemas and consuming laxatives. Various herbal medicines can also be used. Patients with helminthiases are most often prescribed the following drugs:

• Fenasal. Adult patients need to take this drug orally. It is drunk in the morning before breakfast or vice versa before bedtime (but at least 3 hours after a meal). Usually up to 10 capsules are consumed. To improve the effect, many patients drink a few grams of soda before taking the medicine. The tablet must enter the body fractional, for this it must be well chewed or crushed in advance. After a few hours, you can have a snack (sweet tea and cookies), you do not need to drink laxatives. The duration of drug therapy is 4 days. Usually, the body accepts the medicine normally, but sometimes a side effect in the form of an allergic reaction or nausea can appear.

• Praziquantel. The dose is calculated as follows: 0.5 grams per kilogram of body weight. The disadvantage of the drug is a side effect in the form of fever, vomiting and pain in the abdomen.

  

  Fenasal

  

  Praziquantel

• Yomesan. Drinks at the same time as Fenesal. The patient needs from 5 to 9 capsules per day. They also need to be thoroughly chewed and after a couple of hours drink something sweet and have a snack with cookies. The course also lasts 4 days. If the patient has atopic dermatitis, it may worsen with the use of the drug.
• Biltricide. It does not need to be crushed or chewed well, you can drink the pill whole. Take up to 40 mg per kilo of body weight. It is better not to use this remedy for pregnant women and children under 4 years of age.

• Filixan. A herbal medicine, among its components is an extract from a fern. The drug is taken orally once (dosage 7 or 8 mg). After taking the drug, you must drink a laxative. In order to prevent the re-development of the disease, it is recommended to take the same additional dose after a couple of weeks. This medicine is also prohibited for pregnant women and also for those patients who have been diagnosed with inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract, severe exhaustion and anemia.

  

  Yomesan

  

  Biltricide

Treatment with folk methods

Since some anthelmintic drugs can have a toxic effect and will be contraindicated in many categories of patients, you can try to take out the parasite using traditional medicine methods. There are many ways to fight parasites, but there are TOP-3 remedies that help the best.

The first is pumpkin seeds. They must first be cleaned and fried. It is important that a film remains on the seeds. You need to eat the finished product throughout the day, you can eat them in different quantities. It is important that the patient does not eat any more food or drink water. After the patient has eaten the seeds for the last time, after two hours he needs to drink a laxative.

The second is pomegranate peels. 60 grams of dried and ground crusts are poured with 500 ml of hot water. The resulting product is infused for 7 hours. After that, the infusion must be evaporated when its volume does not reach two hundred ml. The patient should drink the resulting broth within 60 minutes. Half an hour after the last dose, you should drink a laxative. For the next several hours, you should not eat and drink. When 4 hours have passed after consuming laxatives, an enema should be given.

The third is salted fish. The patient should eat large quantities of salted fish. After that, you must not drink for 3 hours, this is mandatory. After 3 hours, you need to drink a laxative.

Pumpkin seeds

Pomegranate peel

Salty fish

If you use traditional methods of treatment, it is important to control that the parasite comes out together with the scolex (head). If it was not there, you need to re-undergo therapy. A separate category of drugs is made up of anthelmintic agents with anthelmintic herbs. They allow you to cure pathologies at the level with medications, while they do not pose a danger to the body and do not negatively affect it. These products can be in the form of a tea, tincture or extract. They most often include in their composition:

• Oak bark;
• Tansy;
• Yarrow;

• Sage;

  

  Oak bark

  

  Tansy

  

  Yarrow

  

  Sage

• Ferulu;
• Mint;
• Sagebrush;

• Chamomile;

  

  Ferula

  

  Mint

  

  Sagebrush

  

  Chamomile

• Birch leaves;
• Dried mushrooms;
• Sumac;

• Calendula.

  

  Birch leaves

  

  Cudweed

  

  Sumac

  

  Calendula

It should be borne in mind that much more time is spent on the treatment of helminthiasis with herbs. But, unlike pills, natural remedies have practically no side effects. For this reason, they can be used by children, people with different background pathologies, pregnant and lactating.

Preventive measures

Roasting beef meat

The best prevention of bovine tapeworm infection is a complete heat treatment of meat, especially beef. In order for all forms of parasites (if present in the product) to be destroyed, the temperature inside the meat during cooking must be at least 80 ° C.

Another option for fighting the parasite is deep freezing of the product. It takes longer than heat treatment. If the meat has been cooled to 15 degrees, the parasite survives for 3 days and then dies. If the temperature is 25 degrees, he dies in a day. For additional prevention of damage by this tapeworm is necessary.