Tapeworm infections

Nuts have many uses, both industrial and domestic. For instance, the ivory nut, or tagua, is a source material for the manufacture of buttons and turnery articles. The kola nut supplies ingredients for popular cola beverages in the United States (see Carbonated beverages). StTychnos nux-vomica provides the important medicine and poison, strychnine. The areca or betel nut is chewed by the Indian and Malayan people as a narcotic a slice of the nut is placed in a leaf of the pepper plant Piper betle) together with a pinch of lime the mixture is an acrid, astringent narcotic that dyes the mouth red, blackens and destroys the teeth. The areca nut contains, among other alkaloids, arecoline, an active anthelminthic widely used in veterinary practice for the treatment of tapeworm infections. 

Tapeworm infections (T. saginata and T. solium) are treated with praziquantel 5 to 10 mg/kg as a single dose (use the same dose for adults and pediatric patients).3 The treatment for cysticercosis and neurocysticercosis may include surgery, anticonvulsants (neurocysticercosis can cause seizures), and anthelmintic therapy. The anthelmintic therapy of choice is albendazole 400 mg twice daily for 8 to 30 days. The pediatric dose of albendazole is 15 mg/kg (maximum 800 mg) in two divided doses for 8 to 30 days. The doses for both adults and pediatric subjects can be repeated if necessary. Praziquantel is an alternative therapy.3... 

Niclosamide is an anthelmintic, which is active against various intestinal tapeworms. It is the drug of choice for tapeworm infections due to Taenia Saginata, Diphyllobothrium Latum, and Taenia Solium. Niclosamide is particularly effective... 

Tapeworm infections are caused by Taenia solium. Tinea pedis causes the fungal infection known os athlete s foot. Yersinia pestis is implicated in plague, Candida albicans is responsible for candidiasis while Chlamydia frachomifis causes eye infections. 

Niclosamide is a second-line drug for the treatment of most tapeworm infections, but it is not available in the USA. 

Most patients treated with niclosamide for H diminuta and Dipylidium caninum infections are cured with a 7-day course of treatment a few require a second course. Praziquantel is superior for Hymenolepis (dwarf tapeworm) infection. Niclosamide is not effective against cysticercosis or hydatid disease. 

Bithionol is used for the treatment of tapeworm infections in poultry, and tapeworm and rumen fluke infections in sheep, cattle, and goats. An oral dose of approximately 200 mg/kg bw is used in sheep and goats, whereas two treatments, 4 days apart, of 200 mg/kg bw are used for chickens. Tlie drug is administered to poultry with tire feed, whereas to other animals it is administered in the form of gelatin capsules, tablets, or boluses. 

At the outset of any consideration of the host immune response to cestode infection, the first question is why should we be interested in the immune response to cestodes The view could be advanced that the availability of effective anthelminthics and appropriate food preparation methods has reduced the impact of cestode infection on humans to almost an historical oddity. Not so. Tapeworm infection of humans... 

Dwinell, M.B., Bass, P., Schaefer, D.M. and Oaks, J.A. (1 997) Tapeworm infection decreases intestinal transit and enteric aerobic bacterial populations. American Journal of Physiology 273, C480-C485. 

Reardon, C., Sanchez, A., Hogaboam, C.M. and McKay, D.M. (2001). Tapeworm infection reduces the ion transport abnormalities induced by dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) colitis. Infection and Immunity 69, 4417 f423. 

Adult tapeworm infections in humans are usually treated with praziquantel (Table 12.4), but with adult Taenia solium there may be neurological side effects if patients are also infected with cysts, so niclosamide, that has no effect on the cysts, is the preferred treatment (Garcia et a/., 2003). 

Pearson, R.D. and Hewlett, E.L. (1985) Niclosamide therapy for tapeworm infections. Annals of Internal Medicine 102, 550-551. 

Proudman, C.J., French, N.J. and Trees, A.J. (1 998) Tapeworm infection is a significant risk factor for spastic colic and ileal impaction colic in the horse. Equine Veterinary journal 30, 194-199. 

Remove existing tapeworm infections in humans Prevent the introduction of new sources of infection for humans Consolidation phase Prevent new infections in pigs... 

Blundell, S.K., Gemmell, M.A. and Macnamara, F.N. (1968) Immunological responses of the mammalian host against tapeworm infections. VI. Demonstration of humoral immunity in sheep induced by the activated embryos of Taenia hydatigena and T. ovis. Experimental Parasitology 23, 79-82. 

Niclosamide [ni KLOE sa mide] is the drug of choice for most ces-tode (tapeworm) infections. Its action has been ascribed to inhibition of the parasite s mitochondrial anaerobic phosphorylation of ADP which produces usable energy in the form of ATP. The drug is lethal for the cestode s scolex and segments of cestodes but not for the ova. A laxative is administered prior to oral administration of niclosamide. This is done to purge the bowel of all dead segments in order to preclude digestion and liberation of the ova, which may lead to cysticercosis. Alcohol should be avoided within 1 day of niclosamide. 

Drug of choice for the treatment of most tapeworm infections. 

Vitamin B12 deficiency may occur with a parasitic infection by tapeworms. Tapeworms, which can be many meters long, can live in the gut. They can take up dietary vitamin B12, thus limiting its availability to the human host. Tapeworms can arise from the consumption of raw fish. Although raw fish is consumed in several countries, the vitamin B12 deficiency arising from tapeworm infections occurs mainly In Finland. The infection results in megaloblastic anemia as well as neurological symptoms, such as paraesthesia, decreased vibration sense, and ataxia. 

Dichlorophen is an antihelminthic drug that was used in the treatment of tapeworm infections but has been superseded by praziquantel and niclosamide. It also has antifungal and antibacterial activity and has been used topically in the treatment of fungal infections and as a germicide in soaps and cosmetics (1). 

Only pyrantel salts have label claim for good efficacy (> 90%) for the removal of tapeworm infections. Use pyrantel pamoate 13.2 mg/kg p.o. (USA), or pyrantel embonate 38 mg/kg p.o. (Europe), or praziquantel 1 mg/kg p.o. 

Proudman C J, Edwards G B 1992 Vaiidation of a centrifugation/fiotation technique for the diagnosis of equine cestodiasis. Veterinary Record 131 71-72 Proudman C J, Matthews J B 2000 Control of Intestinal parasites in horses, in Practice 22 90-97 Proudman C J, French N P, Trees A J 1998 Tapeworm infection as a significant risk factor for spasmodic colic and Ileal impaction colic in the horse. Equine Veterinary Journal 30 194-199... 

Wrangham, R.W. (1995). Relationship of chimpanzee leaf-swallowing to a tapeworm infection. American Journal ofPrimatology, 37 297-303. 

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