How can tapeworm affect my and my family’s health?
Two diseases in humans are caused by tapeworm infection: taeniasis and cysticercosis
Taeniasis is an infection in the intestine after eating infected meat that is raw or not well cooked. There are a couple of types of tapeworms causing taeniasis, such as pork tapeworm and beef tapeworm. Taeniasis can cause mild and non-specific symptoms, including abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhoea or constipation when the tapeworms become fully developed in the intestine.
Cysticercosis in humans, on the other hand, occurs when the eggs of pork tapeworms are accidentally ingested. The eggs are passed through the faeces of an infected person, which can contaminate soil and water. This can also lead to food (mainly vegetables) exposure to pork tapeworm eggs. Cysticercosis can have considerable impacts to human health. The pork tapeworm larvae may develop in the muscles, skin, eyes and the central nervous system. When cysts develop in the brain, the condition is referred to as neurocysticercosis. Symptoms can be severe headache, blindness, convulsions, or epileptic seizures.
If I can get taeniasis by eating meat, should I stop eating them? What else can I do to protect my family and myself from taeniasis and cysticercosis?
You don’t have to stop eating meat to avoid taeniasis. However, you have to make sure that the meat is well-cooked; avoid eating raw meat. In addition, WHO recommends five keys to safer food:
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Keep clean
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Separate raw and cooked
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Cook thoroughly (pork or beef should be cooked for at least 70 degrees Celsius)
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Keep food at safe temperatures
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Use safe water and raw materials
Proper hygiene practices – including hand rubbing and washing, especially before eating and after using the toilet – are important to prevent tapeworm infection.
If someone in my family starts showing taeniasis or cysticercosis symptoms, what should I do?
Taenaisis can be treated with deworming medicine, such as, praziquantel, niclosamide and albendazole, and requires a short treatment course. If your family member is showing any of the above-mentioned symptoms of taenaisis after eating raw or undercooked meat, please consult a doctor to get proper diagnosis and prescription.
For cysticercosis, the period from when the tapeworm eggs are ingested by humans to the time they show symptoms varies. This is why diagnosis of this disease can be challenging. A person showing any of the earlier mentioned cysticercosis symptoms should consult a doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment. Cysticercosis requires a long course of treatment, supportive therapy and in some cases, surgery.
Are these diseases common in Viet Nam?
Taeniasis and cysticercosis infections are common in many countries in Asia, including Viet Nam, particularly where backyard pig raising is practiced but basic sanitation remains poor. These diseases are also found in Africa and Latin America.