Tapeworm infections
Tapewormsareparasites that can live in a person's intestine (bowel). They don't always cause symptoms and when they do they are often mistaken for another illness.
Tapeworm infections are most commonly seen in developing countries and are rare in the UK.
Tapeworms are known medically as cestodes. They are usually flat and ribbon-like and made up of segments.
Some adult worms grow to 4.5-9m (15-30 feet) in length.
Humans can catch them by:
The segments will look like white grains of rice but sometimes longer sections of the worm may need to be seen by an expert to confirm diagnosis.
A tapeworm infection does not always cause symptoms. Orif there are symptoms typically stomach pain and sometimes vomiting and Traveller's diarrhoea they are often mistaken for another illness.
Infection is usually diagnosed from a stool sample but further tests may be needed depending on the type of tapeworm infection.
Raw meat and fish in particular must be cooked and stored correctly. Vegetables and fruit should be washed thoroughly before they are eaten.
Your personal hygiene is even more important if you are in close contact with animals, or travelling in a country where tapeworm infections are more common.
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A tapeworm is a parasite that can live in a person's intestines (bowel). They are known medically as cestodes.
People are often unaware they have a tapeworm infection. They may have no symptoms or only very few symptoms, which are usually general.
In the UK, a tapeworm infection usually occurs when you eat raw contaminated pork, beef or freshwater fish. Not all tapeworms are acquired in the same way.
If you think you have a tapeworm infection, speak to your GP so they can give you a diagnosis.
Adult tapeworm infections are treated with medication. It is more complicated to treat infection with tapeworm larvae.
The beef tapeworm lives only in your intestine and infection with it is easily treated. Infection with other tapeworms or tapeworm larvae can lead to complications.
The best ways to prevent tapeworm infections are to prepare food properly and look after your personal hygiene, particularly around animals.