Tapeworms: Things To Know About Tapeworms

Flukes are a very rare parasite in the human body. However, when penetrated into the body, tapeworms can parasitize in the human brain for up to 20 years and leave serious consequences for the body.
When was a tapeworm discovered?
The first case was a patient in Guangzhou, China who had convulsions for many years, had searched many places but could not find anything. Eventually doctors discovered that he had schistosomiasis, at least this parasite had lived in his brain for more than a decade.
Images of parasitic parasites in the human brain
Movements of schistosomiasis
The disease started in 2007, the patient has numbness in the left side

. In later years, the symptoms became more severe, such as fainting and convulsions, but doctors still could not find the cause. Finally, in 2018 doctors discovered a 12cm flukes living in his brain.
He was surgically removed flukes from his head The surgery lasted more than 2 hours When slitting and picking clones, the operation must be fast because the flukes are still alive so they can move away. Dr.



. Gu Youming, who operated the patient, said, "The operation was quite difficult, the schizophrenia was still alive and moving in the patient's brain, we had to try to take the whole child out, because if we let if only one part is missed, it will revive as before. "
Is there a schistosomiasis in Vietnam?
Tapeworms have a worldwide distribution, however, infections mainly occur in Southeast Asian countries, including our country.
In December 2018, surgeons from the Neurosurgery Department of Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy also successfully operated for NNA, 52-year-old patient, Lam Dong, taking out a 7-inch long tapeworm brain . This patient also suffered from headache, limb weakness, convulsions.
Cranial MRI scan shows patients with damage to the motor cortex According to Dr Nguyen Minh Anh, Head of Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City said: "If not treated promptly, patients are at risk of infection, cerebral hemorrhage, hemiplegia who do not recover. , even death ".
Pick up tapeworms from patients' eyes
Where does the source of tapeworm begin?
An amphibian is a parasite that lives in the intestines of dogs and cats. Fluked eggs will follow dog and cat droppings, causing water pollution.



. When underwater, the egg hatches hairy larvae, which will be swallowed by crustaceans and parasitic in it. Amphibians who eat crustacean contaminated with larvae will become infected with tapeworm larvae. According to a survey result in our country, the rate of frogs and clones with tapeworm larvae is up to 75%.
If amphibian is infected with snakes, eels, and mice, the larvae will not develop, but will still live parasites After that, if dogs or cats eat these animals, the tapeworm larvae that enter the body will develop into adult tapeworm parasites living in the small intestine. The tapeworm is shaped like a white ribbon, about 3 mm across and 3 to 30 cm long.
What are the ways that an infected person gets tapeworm infection?
People infected with schistosomiasis are three main ways: firstly, drinking un boiled water with crustaceans infected with tapeworm larvae; secondly, eat snake meat, eel, frog, clones ... not cooked properly; Thirdly, in some localities, it is customary to apply frog or snake meat on open wounds or on eyes to treat diseases.



. In addition, if swimming in water with live tapeworm larvae, the larvae can penetrate through the skin.
People with schistosomiasis cannot directly spread the disease to others When ingested, the larvae go through the intestinal wall, move everywhere in the body, can be parasitic in the eyes, lungs, abdomen, scrotum and central nervous system.
Eating uncooked Frogs meat or fish salad has a very high risk of getting tapeworm infection
What signs identify schistosomiasis
Diagnosis is based on history and clinical symptoms. Predecessor meat not cooked well or frog meat in the eye. Clinical symptoms depend on the organ that parasites are on. Manifestations in the eyes if a person has a history of covering live frog on the eye may be eye pain, eye swelling, corneal ulcer, vision loss.
Skin manifestations of schistosomiasis are pruritus, urticaria, skin rashes, and skin inflammation. If parasitic parasites on the brain will cause headaches, convulsions, muscle weakness, facial paralysis. The patient will have a computerized tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging, blood test, cerebrospinal fluid test to confirm the diagnosis.




Allergic swelling of the feet and ankles due to schistosomiasis infection
When to check for schistosomiasis?
Tests of schistosomiasis and other helminths should be tested for signs of a headache for unknown reasons
How to treat schistosomiasis?
Treatment may be by medication, but success may be limited, sometimes requiring surgical treatment, since the drug has no effect on adult fluke parasites in the brain. The parasites in the brain can move, so it needs to be manipulated quickly.
Measures to prevent schistosomiasis
Prevent by drinking cold boiled water and not eating raw meat.
Bs. Nguyen Pham Diem Kieu.

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