Tapeworm

Also known as Diplopores caninum, a tapeworm in the family Cystaceae. The body length is 100-400 mm, with a total of about 120 segments, elongated, and the widest is about 3 mm. The scolex is small, slightly rhombus-shaped, with a rod-shaped apical process and 3-4 rows of small hooks. The body color is light red with yellow. It lives in the small intestines of dogs, cats and other carnivores, and can cause intestinal obstruction, anemia and other symptoms in severe infections. The intermediate hosts are dog fleas, dog lice, etc.

Routes of infection to humans

Tapeworm larvae infect dogs, cats and humans through flea larvae.

Symptoms and dangers:

Except for cats and dogs that occasionally shed mature proglottids, mild infection usually goes unnoticed by owners. Severe infection may cause abnormal appetite (bulimia, heterophilia), vomiting, chronic enteritis, alternating diarrhea and constipation, anemia, weight loss, easy agitation or depression, and some may cause spasm or limb paralysis. When the worms form into clumps, they can block the intestines, leading to acute abdominal diseases such as intestinal obstruction, intussusception, volvulus, and intestinal rupture. If a sick dog is found to have gravid tapeworm segments dripping down from the anus, or short tapeworm segments mixed in the feces, it can help diagnose the disease. The segments are white, the smallest ones are like rice grains, and the length can be up to about 9 mm.

What to do if a person is infected with the tapeworm Diploma canis

After a person is infected with the tapeworm, he or she can take praziquantel orally for deworming, and take it according to the packaging or after seeing a doctor. The eggs are passed out with the feces.
If epilepsy or subcutaneous nodules occur, it is recommended to send the patient to a doctor for diagnosis and more optimal treatment.