Tapeworm Infections Rising at Ask Microbe Detectives

Below the highlighted information shows that this is a real problem. Although the stats are isolated to the Southwest, we've all seen huge migrations all over the country. Many immigrant workers work in restaurants, homes, etc. which exposes our potential everywhere -- this is a reality -- I believe it has been a problem all along from people around the world but it has increased in the USA & European countries. The 1800's Gunn's Report on tapeworms (post here) highlights if one person is infected, they can easily infect an entire neighborhood. Therefore, this is a REAL problem that has been ignored far too long. There were case reports several years ago (post on MD or P Forum) of 4 Jewish people (not related) in New York who had brain infections from tapeworms. How many misdiagnosis are there that could be related to a parasite infection and dismissed because they "don't exist"?

The post below is to help people understand the difference of tapeworm infections which is described below. Unfortunately, the entire report isn't available - it would be nice to see the pictures.

http://www.bioone.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1645%2FGE-3354CC&ct=1

Journal of Parasitology

Portrait of Human Tapeworms

Ana Flisser^A^{, B}, Ana-Elena Viniegra^A^{, C}, Laura Aguilar-Vega^A, Adriana Garza-Rodriguez^A^{, B}, Pablo Maravilla^A^{, B}, and Guillermina Avila^A

The tapeworms of the genus Taenia that infect human beings are T. solium, T. saginata and T. saginata asiatica. Taenia solium and T. saginata exhibit unequivocal features that characterize them; in contrast, only recent DNA studies, morphological characteristics, and epidemiological and sanitary aspects indicate that T. saginata asiatica is a subspecies of T. saginata. These 3 tapeworms occur in humans in their adult stage, and the intermediate hosts are pigs for T. solium and T. saginata asiatica and cows for T. saginata. Their identification is crucial considering the migratory increase from Asia to the Western Hemisphere and the fact that these tapeworms coexist in the same environment in Asia; furthermore, it is estimated that movement in both directions across the United States–Mexico border exceeds 200 million persons per yr, and thus, opportunities for acquiring and transporting T. solium infections are multiplied. It is not easy to distinguish among these tapeworms; therefore, a comparative diagram of the 3 parasites is shown in this article, which will facilitate their identification. All morphological features, some of which allow for identification, are clear and can be easily distinguished among the 3 tapeworms.