Parasites of the digestive tract - pinworms, roundworms, beef tapeworms

Enterobiasis and ascariasis are treated with prescription medication. The drugs for taeniasis are not available in pharmacies and are supplied to Poland under target import.

Pinworms

The residents of developed countries are most often attacked by pinworms – a few-millimetre long nematodes which parasitize in the typhlon. They are inhaled or carried with food – their eggs can be swallowed via hands directly touching the mouth, or inhaled with dust.

Pinworms usually attack preschool children.

The pinworm larvae incubate in the small intestine and the adult specimens inhabit the end segment of the small intestine and the large intestine. Their development period lasts between two and four weeks. Impregnated females travel to the anus area, where - usually while we sleep – lay their eggs. Females live from four to twelve weeks and die after laying eggs.

Several hours after being laid, eggs become invasive and can infect another host.

The creeping females and the liquid which sticks to the mucous membrane and skin, produce severe itches. This is why pinworm infection is usually accompanied by an itch in the anus area and mechanical damage of the mucous membrane resulting from scratching.

In order to avoid pinworm infection and provide effective treatment, the rules of personal hygiene must be obeyed – washing hands after using the toilet, before preparing meals and eating, keeping short fingernails. Towels should not be shared. Pinworm eggs are destroyed by warm temperature, so it is recommended to frequently change and iron personal underwear and bed sheets.

Roundworms and tapeworms

The giant roundworm is also a nematode, which reaches a length of 20-35 cm. Its average lifespan is one year, over which time it lays several dozen million eggs to be extracted with faeces. Humans become infected with invasive eggs of this parasite.

The young larva hatches in the small intestine and travels to the lungs through the blood vessels. After reaching several millimetres, it starts to move towards the larynx from where – being accidentally swallowed – it returns to the small intestine, where it grows and multiplies.

Roundworms mostly spread when people evacuate in random places. Infections can be prevented by observing basic rules of personal hygiene. The incidence of roundworm infections is decreasing in Poland and the rest of Europe.

In turn, tapeworms are flatworms. Their most common form in Poland is the beef tapeworm. It reaches a length of ten metres and is composed of several thousand segments. This worm is hosted by humans, but its larvae develop in cattle.

This is why it is important to avoid raw meat and obey the rules of personal hygiene in order to not be infected by a tapeworm.

The beef tapeworm infests the human small intestine. Its end segments exit through the anus. Each contains about 100 thousand eggs.

Treatment

Enterobiasis and ascariasis are treated with prescription medication containing pyrantel, mebendazole, and albendazole. In the case of pinworms, due to the risk of frequent reinfections, the treatment is repeated and covers all members of the patient’s household. 14 days after the treatment, patient’s faeces should be controlled.

Tapeworms are removed with products containing praziquantel.