(cestode) n. any of a group of flatworms that have a long thin ribbon-like body and live as parasites in the intestines of humans and other vertebrates. The body of a tapeworm consists of a head (scolex), a short neck, and a strobila made up of a chain of separate segments (proglottides). Mature proglottides, full of eggs, are released from the free end of the worm and pass out in the host’s stools. Eggs are then ingested by an intermediate host, in whose tissues the larval stages develop (see plerocercoid; cysticercus; hydatid). Humans are the primary hosts for some tapeworms (see Taenia; Hymenolepis). However, other genera are also medically important (see Diphyllobothrium; Dipylidium; Echinococcus).
Tapeworms (cestodes) are ribbon-shaped worms that infest the intestines of humans and animals. They are usually acquired by eating undercooked meat or fish. Tapeworms from beef, pork, and fish usually only cause mild abdominal discomfort or diarrhoea. However, if eggs of pork worms are ingested, the hatched larvae burrow into tissues to form cysts. This leads to cysticerosis, the symptoms of which are muscle pain and convulsions. Rarely, fish tapeworms cause anaemia. Dwarf tapeworms, common in the tropics, can cause diarrhoea and abdominal discomfort. Tapeworms acquired from dogs cause hydatid disease. A diagnosis is made from the presence of worm segments or eggs in the faeces. Treatment is with anthelmintic drugs.... tapeworm infestation
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