Tapeworm – A Deadly Brainworm
Tapeworms are intestinal parasites that can live inside another animal or plant. They are more present in parts of the world where it is more difficult to maintain hygiene but can be ingested when consuming raw or undercooked meat, fish unwashed vegetable & fruits. Several types of tapeworms can infect humans.
Cabbage and green vegetables are the major part of our diet. These are consumed in our daily diet as they are beneficial for our health because of their high nutritional value. However, these vegetables also contains lot of insect pests and other organisms which could be harmful for our health.One of the most harmful organisms is “Tapeworm”which is generally present on the under side of the green vegetable leaves that could cause serious damage to our brain and in case of late detection, even lead to death. Raw cabbage safety hazards have been a debated issue for quite a long time. Theyserve as breeding nest to the deadly parasite known as tapeworm.Very few of us is aware of the fact that green-leafy vegetables are a perfect abode for the worms and parasites. Some of these worms and parasites are so small that they cannot be seen by our naked eyes.
According to several researches, eating rawveggies are one of the biggest causes of tapeworm infection.While most veggies have them, cabbage and cauliflower are specially notorious of harbouringthem. These worms are so small that they easily remain hidden inside the layers of cabbage or cauliflower. They even survive on high temperatures because eggs of these worms are hard-shelled and whatreally scary is that, they not only multiply in the human body gut, but a tiny spore can even go to the brain through the blood stream!. The most common form of brain tapeworm is the pork tapeworm known as Taenisolium. It is a common pest feed on vegetables like cabbage, kale, cauliflower and broccoli. It is a ribbon-like worm, which when ingested, attaches itself to the walls of the intestines and hatches eggs and becomes larva. After hatching eggs, it enters the blood stream and travels to the brain causing “Cysticecrosis” and it spread to various parts of body including liver and muscles. In some cases, “Cysticerci” may be found in the human eyeball (see Pic 3), extraocular muscles, and under the conjunctiva (sub-conjunctiva). Depending on the location, they may cause visual difficulties that fluctuate with eye position, and can also results in decreased vision or even a visual loss.
“Cerebral cysticercosis” also known as parasitic infection can occur in three stages: · In the initial stage, it can cause swelling of the brain followed by severe headache. · In the second stage, the patient suffers from epileptic attacks. · In the third stage, eggs get lodged in different tissues of the body forming cysts and cause a disease called “Neurocysticercosis”. Patient goes unconsciousness and needs intensive therapy in this stage. It can also cause death in some cases. This stage is known as “Cysticircle granuloma”. There are several drugs and surgical approaches to fight neurocysticercosis and fortunately, it is a curable diseases if detected on time. It is very difficult to wash off these worms and their spores from the veggies. In fact they do not even go away after boiling. “Potassium permanganate” is the best natural way to get rid of cabbage worms. Add a few crystals of potassium permanganate to a bowl full of water and soak your veggies in this solution. After 3-5 minutes, wash them thoroughly under running water. It is most effective way for removing bacteria, parasites and chemical pesticide residues.
What is cysticercosis?
Cysticercosis is an infection caused by the larvae of the parasite Taenia solium. This infection occurs after a person swallows tapeworm eggs. The larvae get into tissues such as muscle and brain, and form cysts there (these are called cysticerci). When cysts are found in the brain, the condition is called neurocysticercosis.
How do humans get cysticercosis?
People get cysticercosis when they swallow T. solium eggs that are passed in the feces of a human with a tapeworm. Tapeworm eggs are spread through food, water, or surfaces contaminated with feces. Humans swallow the eggs when they eat contaminated food or put contaminated fingers in their mouth. Importantly, someone with a tapeworm can infect him-or herself with tapeworm eggs (this is called autoinfection), and can infect others in the family. Eating pork cannot give you cysticercosis.
What is the relationship between human tapeworm and porcine (pig) cysticercosis?
Humans get the tapeworm infection after eating raw or undercooked pork contaminated with cysts of T. solium. When swallowed the cysts pass through the stomach and attach to the lining of the small intestine. In the small intestine the cysts develop into adult tapeworms over about two months.
Where is cysticercosis found?
Cysticercosis is found worldwide. Infection is found most often in rural areas of developing countries where pigs are allowed to roam freely and eat human feces and where hygiene practices are poor. Cysticercosis is rare in people who live in countries where pigs do not have contact with human feces. People can sometimes get cysticercosis even if they have never traveled outside of the United States.
What are the signs and symptoms of cysticercosis?
Signs and symptoms will depend on the location and number of cysts in your body.
- Cysts in the muscles:
- Cysts in the muscles generally do not cause symptoms. However, you may be able to feel lumps under your skin. The lumps sometimes become tender.
- Cysts in the eyes:
- Although rare, cysts may float in the eye and cause blurry or disturbed vision. Infection in the eyes may cause swelling or detachment of the retina.
- Neurocysticercosis (cysts in the brain, spinal cord):
- Symptoms of neurocysticercosis depend upon where and how many cysts are found in the brain. Seizures and headaches are the most common symptoms. However, confusion, lack of attention to people and surroundings, difficulty with balance, excess fluid around the brain (called hydrocephalus) may also occur. The disease can result in death.
MYTH ABOUT THE TAPEWORM : It is a myth spread by quacks. By a trick of their hand, they show people that they have taken out a tapeworm from the brain, which was caused by eating cabbage. It is a misconception. It is a prolonged treatment in which epilepsy, headaches and seizures can be controlled through proper timely medication.In rare cases, surgery is done.One should thoroughly wash leafy vegetables before cooking and one’s hands before eating. The tapeworm is, also, caused by sanitation issues, lack of toilets and pig meat (pork), if inspection is not done. The waste that is thrown and the waste generated by defecation in the open is eaten by pigs. When the meat of that pig is eaten, without proper inspection, it causes “Neurocysticercosis”.
CASE STUDIES ABOUT THE WORM : In a study of Dr. Theodre Nash (2012) who works at the National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.A. She observed some of the patients fall into comas while some are paralyzed down one side of their body; Some were partially blind. The similarity among them was captured in the brain MRI scans that was each brain contains one or more whitish blobs. She came to know the blobs are not made of patients own cells and the blobs are tapeworms. The tapeworms are best known in their adult stage but before theybecame adult, they live in the form of large cysts either in brain or any another body part. These cysts were whitish blobs and caused disease “Neurocysticercosis”. She told that the symptoms of tapeworm are usually mistaken for variety of brain disorders. The clearest way to detect is from the image of cysts in the brain scan. In another case study of Gurugram (Haryana), the doctors found that the brain of eight year old girl named ‘Trushika’ was infected with tapeworm eggs in 2018. Shewas admitted in the city hospital as she was suffering from severe headaches and epileptic seizures for the past six months. She was put on steroids and because of that at this tender age, she gained 20 kgsbodyweight. Despite such heavy medications her elipletic seizures and headaches remain persistent. This lead the doctors to conduct another CT scan which showed the presence of 100 tapeworm eggs in her brain which reached her brain through the bloodstream from the stomach. She was diagnosed with “Neurocysticercosis” due to which her brain swelled. This was caused by accidently eating food infested by tapeworms. Her treatment began by reducing her swelling with decongestants and gradually the cysts were treated by starting anthelmintic therapy followed by steroids.
TO AVOID INGESTING THESE WORMS, DO THE FOLLOWING PRACTICES : · Wash all greens in strong jets of running water, so that the worms get rinsed off due to the force of water. · Cook the greens thoroughly at high temperature. · Don’t eat these vegetables as raw at anytime and especially in restaurants / outside ( avoid chinese food containing raw cabbage altogether). · Try and avoid consuming these vegetables during monsoon season when these worms multiply at high rates. · Take a deworming tablet every six months as directed by physician.
Prevention
There are several effective methods for helping prevent tapeworm infections-
- Maintaining hygiene: Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after using the bathroom, touching animals and insects, and before eating.
- Food precautions: In an area where tapeworms are common, be sure to wash and cook all fruits and vegetables with clean water.
- Livestock: Correctly dispose of animal and human feces. Minimize animal exposure to tapeworm eggs.
- Meat: Cook meat to a temperature of at least 150°F (66°C). This will kill larvae or eggs.
- Meat and fish: Freeze fish and meat for at least 7 days. This will kill tapeworm eggs and larvae. Experts say that smoking or drying meat or fish is not a reliable way to kill larvae or eggs.
- Raw foods: Do not consume raw or undercooked pork, beef, or fish. Do not allow raw foods to touch other foods. A person should wash their hands after each time they touch raw meat or fish.
- Dogs: If a person has a dog, they must make sure the dog receives treatment for tapeworms. They should also take special care with personal hygiene. They may wish to make sure the dog only eats cooked meat and fish, if given.
- Surfaces: Make sure to clean and disinfect all frequently touched areas regularly.
NB- Cabbage is a common vegetable consumed in almost every Indian household, but there are many misconceptions and myths associated with this cruciferous vegetable such as eating cabbage may pave the way for tapeworms to enter the body and cause deadly ailments like Neurocysticercosis. Here’s all you need to know about cabbage and whether it is safe to eat it raw? As per the common myth, it is believed that eating raw cabbage can lead to the development of tapeworm, which can alter the nervous system and infect the brain with Neurocysticercosis. However, experts suggest that Neurocysticercosis causing tapeworms usually enter the body and brain due to improper and unhygienic conditions like open defecation in the farms and consumption of uninspected pork, which may turn fatal incase of ignorance. According to experts, open defecation in farms is one of the main reasons that can lead to tapeworms and the easiest way to deal with this is by cleaning the veggies and leafy greens thoroughly and cooking them properly. It can be concluded that eating cabbage does not lead to breeding of tapeworms in the brain and body. However, this may happen with any vegetable cultivated under unhygienic conditions, thus it is essential to thoroughly clean the veggies and then consume. In the context of pork make sure you consume farm raised and clean and properly cooked pork to avoid such health hazards.
Compiled & Shared by- This paper is a compilation of groupwork provided by the
Team, LITD (Livestock Institute of Training & Development)
Image-Courtesy-Google
Reference-On Request.
CYSTICERCOSIS (PORK TAPEWORM INFECTION): AN EMERGING PARASITIC HUMAN DISEASE IN INDIA
