Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Infection OccursInfection From MeatInfection From HumansPreventionFrequently Asked QuestionsNext in Tapeworm Infection GuideWhat Are the Symptoms of a Tapeworm in a Human?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How Infection Occurs
Infection From Meat
Infection From Humans
Prevention
Frequently Asked Questions
Next in Tapeworm Infection Guide
People who live in close proximity to livestock or free-range animals and/or have poor sanitation have a greater risk of developing a tapeworm infection.
Tapeworm infectionsare more common in developing areas of the world where sanitation is poor and people may eat undercooked meats. Thus, traveling to these areas is another risk factor, and treating the infection afterdiagnosisis important to prevent further spread.
© Verywell, 2018
It takes two months for cysticerci to grow into an adult tapeworm while living in in the human intestine.
The adult tapeworm then attaches to the wall of the small intestine and can live there for years (as long as 30 years).
An adult tapeworm producesproglottids, which is a segment of the worm that has male and female reproductive parts. The proglottids become pregnant with eggs and break off from their parent worm, which is still living in the intestine. The pregnant worm passes through the digestive system and out of the anus with a bowel movement.
Infection From Meat
The primary way that humans can contract a tapeworm is from eating meat, pork, or fish that is infected with tapeworms. If the animal was infected the meat will harbor larva or eggs.
While properly cooking and/or freezing meats can kill tapeworms, when any cut of meat is suspected to be infected with any pathogen the best course of action is to discard it.
Cooking meats well helps reduce the risk that it contains any live parasites, but raw meat, poultry, and fish comes with no such protection and eating them should be avoided.
Undercooked Fish
Broad tapeworms that infect fish are most frequently found in freshwater species such as salmon, trout, perch, and walleyed pike. Fish that are pickled, smoked, or “lightly salted” may not be cooked or treated in a way that will kill these tapeworms. Infection with this type of tapeworm is more commonly found in fish originating from the Northern hemisphere.
Eating When Traveling
Traveling to less developed countries may put travelers at risk of contracting tapeworms because infection is more common outside the United States. It’s important to ensure that fish and meats are cooked thoroughly and that other food (even fruits and vegetables) are prepared with water that is boiling or has been chemically treated to kill pathogens. If you have your doubts, avoid the dish.
Humans can also be infected with tapeworms through other humans, though this is less common. A person who is infected will pass eggs from the tapeworm in their stools.
If an infected person touches their stool during a bowel movement, tapeworm eggs may wind up on their hands and then be transmitted to other surfaces or food.
Correct handwashing with soap and warm water can remove these eggs, but if an infected person doesn’t (or is unable to) do that after going to the bathroom, they can spread the eggs to other people.
You can take steps to kill tapeworms if you properly freeze and cook your food.
Meats
Cooking meats properly and freezing them at the proper temperatures can help kill any tapeworms they might be harboring. Meat should be cooked until the center is no longer pink and the juices run clear. Further, letting meat rest for at least three minutes before serving it will also help kill any tapeworms because the meat continues to cook while it is resting.
TheFDArecommends these guidelines:
Fish
Fish should be cooked until it is flaky and is a solid color. The FDA recommends that fish should also be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F (approximately 63 degrees C).Freezing at least -4 degrees (-20 degrees C) for a week (7 days) will also kill tapeworms. Lower temperatures can be used for a shorter time to kill tapeworms, including:
Frequently Asked QuestionsTapeworms rarely cause symptoms and when they do, those symptoms tend to resemble garden-variety digestive problems like abdominal pain anddiarrhea. You may develop more tellingsymptomsif a tapeworm grows large enough to press against internal organs or cause you tolose weightunexpectedly.Yes—and you may actually see or even feel it happen. If you have a tapeworm, you also may notice proglottids (segments) in yourpoop. Tapeworm eggs can be eliminated in stool, but are very small and harder to see.Once a tapeworm infection is diagnosed, the treatment is simple and effective: a single dose of a prescription medication called an antihelminthic. If you have a pork, meat, or fish tapeworm, you’ll be given Biltricide (praziquantel), which will paralyze the tapeworm and cause it to release its grip on your intestines so it can pass out through your digestive tract. Dwarf tapeworms are treated with a one dose of Alinia (nitazoxanide).Tapeworms cannot reach thebrain. However, the larvae ofTaenia solium, the pork tapeworm, can infect the brain and other tissues of the body, where they formcysts. This happens when someone ingests food contaminated with Taenia solium eggs. Having tapeworm cysts in the brain is called neurocysticercosis and usually can be treated with anti-parasitic medication,anti-inflammatory drugs, and, if necessary, surgery.
Tapeworms rarely cause symptoms and when they do, those symptoms tend to resemble garden-variety digestive problems like abdominal pain anddiarrhea. You may develop more tellingsymptomsif a tapeworm grows large enough to press against internal organs or cause you tolose weightunexpectedly.
Yes—and you may actually see or even feel it happen. If you have a tapeworm, you also may notice proglottids (segments) in yourpoop. Tapeworm eggs can be eliminated in stool, but are very small and harder to see.
Once a tapeworm infection is diagnosed, the treatment is simple and effective: a single dose of a prescription medication called an antihelminthic. If you have a pork, meat, or fish tapeworm, you’ll be given Biltricide (praziquantel), which will paralyze the tapeworm and cause it to release its grip on your intestines so it can pass out through your digestive tract. Dwarf tapeworms are treated with a one dose of Alinia (nitazoxanide).
Tapeworms cannot reach thebrain. However, the larvae ofTaenia solium, the pork tapeworm, can infect the brain and other tissues of the body, where they formcysts. This happens when someone ingests food contaminated with Taenia solium eggs. Having tapeworm cysts in the brain is called neurocysticercosis and usually can be treated with anti-parasitic medication,anti-inflammatory drugs, and, if necessary, surgery.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About human tapeworm.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About cysticercosis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About diphyllobothrium.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Safe food handling.Merck Manual Consumer Version.Tapeworm infection.
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About human tapeworm.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About cysticercosis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About diphyllobothrium.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Safe food handling.Merck Manual Consumer Version.Tapeworm infection.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About human tapeworm.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About cysticercosis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About diphyllobothrium.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Safe food handling.Merck Manual Consumer Version.Tapeworm infection.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About human tapeworm.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About cysticercosis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About diphyllobothrium.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Safe food handling.
Merck Manual Consumer Version.Tapeworm infection.
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