Tapeworm Infestation
Charlotte Cox
Causative agent: Tapeworms are parasitic Helmiths of the Phylum Platyhelminthes
(Flatworms) and Class Cestodes. They include Taenia saginata (beef
tapeworm), Taenia solium (pork tapeworm) and Diphyllobothrium latum and
Echinococcus granulosus .
Anatomy: Scolex (head) with suckers, sometimes hooks. Proglottids -body
segments continuously produced by the scolex which contain both testes and
ovaries that mature as they move away from scolex to produce eggs. Taenia
tapeworms can live up to 25 yrs. and grow to 18 ft. D. latum have been found
as long as 32 ft. and can produce millions of eggs per day. Tapeworms lack a
digestive system but obtain food by absorbing it through their cuticle.
Diseases and Symptoms: Usually, none at all - in fact, infection might never be
known. Can cause blockage in digestive tract, appendicitis. If the eggs hatch
in a human, the larvae may cross the intestinal lining and enter the bloodstream,
migrate to......
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