Overview
A tapeworm is a flat, ribbon-like parasite that can live in the gut after a person eats undercooked pork, beef or fish, or food and water contaminated with tapeworm eggs. Gut infection often causes only mild symptoms. The more serious concern with the pork tapeworm is when its larvae spread to other tissues, including the brain, where they can cause fits — a recognised cause of epilepsy in India. Proper cooking and hygiene prevent it, and it is treated with specific medicines.
Symptoms
- Often mild or no symptoms with gut infection
- Tummy discomfort and nausea
- Loss of appetite or weight loss
- Segments of the worm seen in the stools
- Fits or headaches if larvae reach the brain
When to see a doctor
See a doctor if you notice worm segments in the stools, have unexplained tummy symptoms, or develop new fits or headaches.
Causes
Eating undercooked pork, beef or fish, or swallowing tapeworm eggs from food or water contaminated with human waste.