Hymenolepis II

Causes of Hymenolepis:
This infection is generally caused due to eating or drinking infected food or water, which could be infected with animal or human stools. In case the soil is infected the grazing animals could ingest tapeworm eggs along with the grass or plants. And these eggs in turn form into eggs inside the animals.
Humans and animals that eat meat can even ingest the tapeworms in case they are present in the meat. There are various kinds of tapeworms that exist, but the most common ones are found in growing countries. These worms mostly spread due to contamination of drinking water or the sewage which may not be treated that is cleared well.
The dwarf tapeworm can infect people in several ways. Unhygienic conditions are the reasons the infection passes from one to another. There are chances of the eggs hatching and growing into adults and reproduction also in the intestines, without moving out of the digestive system, this state is known as auto infection.
Beef and Pork tapeworms’ infection is caused due to eating of under cooked meat that already contains the larvae.
The fish tapeworm infection is caused by eating under cooked or raw fresh water fish, like salmon.
The dog tapeworm infection is usually quite rare; it is also called unilocular Hydatid disease or echinococcosis.
Diagnosis:
This infection is generally diagnosed with a stool test that is by checking for the presence of larvae, eggs or parts of the tapeworm in the stools. The doctor may also examine the region around the anus for any indications of the tapeworm larvae or eggs.
In case you notice any parts of the tapeworm in the stools, you should consult the doctor so that he can examine you and treat you accordingly.
The diagnosis for the tapeworm infections is different, as the tapeworms could be different. The techniques to diagnose this condition are as follows:
Blood test should be done to check the infection for the antibodies,
Different imaging techniques like, CT scan, chest X-ray, MRI scan or an ultrasound scan, and
Tests are carried out to check if all the organs are working fine especially the liver.
Treatment:
An adult tapeworm infection will be treated by oral medication. A tapeworm larvae infection is comparatively difficult to treat as compared to a tapeworm infection, as in case of tapeworm larvae infection the larvae establish itself in parts of the body outside the intestines. The indication of the infection in this condition show up very late, that is after a period of a few years. In a few cases which are quite rare though this infection could be fatal as well.
The adult tapeworm infection is generally given anthelmintic treatment, this means killing of the parasitic worms, and getting the worms out of the intestine in the stools.
In this treatment the medicines are given to break up or kill the tapeworms.
The most common medicines given in this condition are praziquantel or niclosamide. With the help of this treatment it is essential to get rid of the head and the neck; else the tapeworm would grow back.
Hygiene is the most important factor in any treatment, thus it is essential to keep oneself clean.