Pumpkin Tapeworm In Humans: Life Cycle, Symptoms And Treatment

2023 Author: Riley Dean | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-24 12:07

Pumpkin tapeworm belongs to tapeworms, and its habitat is the body of domestic animals. Cases of transmission of the worm to humans are rare enough, but it can still happen. Close communication with four-legged pets leads to just such cases.

Content

• 1 Cycle of helminth
• 2 How can you get infected
• 3 Symptoms of the presence of a pumpkin tapeworm in the body
• 4 How to get rid of a worm and preventive measures

• 5 Effective medications

  • 5.1 Baltricide
  • 5.2 Fenasal
• 6 Prevention

The helminth cycle

Let's take a closer look at the life cycle of the chain. Initially, the eggs of the worm should get into the louse or flea, and there they already become cysticercoids. Parasitic insects can get on pets when walking. They begin to bite animals, causing them to itch.

In an effort to get rid of the irritating factor, cats and dogs lick their fur or bite on itchy areas. Thus, the infected insects are swallowed. Already in the intermediate host, the tapeworm becomes a sexually mature individual - a tapeworm.

In length, the parasite can reach 75 cm. The body of the tapeworm becomes thinner towards the beginning and has a thickening towards the end. The pumpkin itself has nothing to do with the helminth, but the joints that make up the body of the worm are similar to pumpkin seeds, hence its name.

The head is crowned with oval-shaped suction cups. There is a proboscis, which can be retracted if necessary and has the shape of a club.

How can you get infected

People do not become infected with gourd tapeworm very often. The tapeworm appears in humans in the same way as in domestic animals. Getting into the body with a parasitic insect from the larvae, the development of an adult tapeworm begins in the small intestine.

Once in the child's body, the tapeworm causes the infected:

• nausea;
• vomiting;
• general weakness of the body;
• refusal to eat;
• headaches.

Symptoms of the presence of a pumpkin tapeworm in the body

Most often, pets do not show special signs of infection. Attentive owners may notice that the dog or cat has lost a lot of weight. This is due to the fact that the tapeworm feeds on valuable substances that the animal itself needs.

A person is characterized by the following manifestations:

• profuse salivation;
• migraine;
• the presence of heartburn and nausea;
• unpleasant odor from the mouth;
• abdominal pain;
• anemia;
• pallor of the skin;
• the presence of itching near the anus;
• loss of appetite.

As soon as such signs appear, you need to immediately contact a specialist. It is they who make an accurate diagnosis, determine what type the parasite belongs to, and prescribe the necessary medications.

How to get rid of a worm and preventive measures

A person can make a diagnosis of the disease on his own if the segments of the parasite are found in the feces. After the disease is fully diagnosed, treatment is prescribed. It is based on the removal of the pumpkin tapeworm from a convenient place of residence.

Thanks to the suction cups, the helminth is very firmly attached to the intestinal mucosa, which makes it difficult to remove it, but this process must be completed.

Most suitable for treatment:

• antispasmodics;
• a blocker to suppress gastric secretion;
• sorbents;
• antihistamines;
• if there are signs of anemia, then drugs with a high iron content are prescribed.

To make up for the loss of nutrients by the body, medications containing ascorbic, folic acid, vitamins belonging to group B are prescribed.

Effective medications

Baltricide

Baltricide is prescribed very carefully, since the medicine has many contraindications, despite the fact that it quickly gets rid of the parasite. The drug acts on the membrane of the worm in such a way that it begins to pass calcium, and after a while the parasite dies.

Do not drive a motor vehicle while taking Baltricide. It is also contraindicated for pregnant women and children under 4 years of age. Nursing mothers should not feed their baby while taking the medicine.

A person undergoing treatment with this drug may experience cramps, drowsiness, and pain in the abdomen and muscles.

Fenasal

Affects the nervous system and muscle tissue of the pumpkin-like tapeworm. The parasite loses the ability to move and cannot adhere to the intestinal walls, and with this it becomes unable to obtain food and dies. After the remains are digested in the stomach, they will come out with fecal masses.

The drug can be used only after a doctor's prescription, strictly observing the dosage prescribed by the parasitologist. Small children are prescribed fenasal only if there is more benefit from it than harm. Older children are prescribed the number of tablets based on how old the patient is.

Prevention

Anthelmintic drugs are designed for step-by-step therapy. Initially, they are taken for 7 days, then they are stopped for 30 days, after which the treatment must be repeated.

I especially want to note this moment: the pumpkin tapeworm is not easily excreted from the body. The therapy deprives the tapeworm of segments, but the head remains inside the host, and new segments can grow from it.