What causes Dipylidium?

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Dipylidiasis in humans occurs through accidental ingestion of the dog or cat flea or the dog louse infected with cysticercoids (the larval form of D caninum). These fleas and lice are the intermediate host for D caninum. Cysticercoids develop into adult worms in the small intestine of the host in about 20 days.

How do you get Dipylidium caninum?

The dog is the principal host for Dipylidium caninum, humans can also become infected by ingesting the cystercoid-contaminated fleas. In the small intestine of the vertebrate host, the cysticercoid develops into the adult tapeworm, which reaches maturity about 1 month after infection.

How is Dipylidium spread?

By swallowing a flea infected with a tapeworm larvae. A dog or cat may swallow a flea while self-grooming. Once the flea is digested by the dog or cat, the larval tapeworm is able to develop into an adult tapeworm.

What is the infective stage of Dipylidium caninum?

Dipylidium caninum, known as the double-pored dog tapeworm, is a parasite that commonly infects dogs and cats worldwide. Humans may be an accidental host if the infective stage, the cysticercoid larva, is ingested. Although rare, it is more commonly seen in infants and children.

What is Dipylidium infection?

Parasites – Dipylidium Infection (also known as Dog and Cat Flea Tapeworm) Related Pages. Dipylidium is tapeworm of cats and dogs. People become infected when they accidentally swallow a flea infected with tapeworm larvae; most reported cases involve children.

How are humans infected with Dipylidium caninum?

Human infections with D. caninum are rare, but it is more likely to occur in young children who kiss or are licked by their infected pets. There have been some reports of cases with D. caninum infection or dipylidiasis worldwide, since Linnaeus first described it in 1758.

Is Dipylidium caninum common?

Dipylidium caninum is a common tapeworm of dogs and cats, but is occasionally found in humans.

What are the symptoms of Dipylidium?

Most Dipylidium infections are asymptomatic and self-limited, though abdominal pain, restlessness, and agitation can occur. The most notable sign is the presence of proglottids in the stool, diapers, or on the perineum.

Can humans get infected Dipylidium caninum?

Causal Agent. Dipylidium caninum is a common tapeworm of dogs and cats, but is occasionally found in humans. It has many common names including the “flea tapeworm”, “cucumber tapeworm”, and “double-pored tapeworm”.

How can Dipylidium caninum be prevented?

Flea prevention is an excellent method of controlling Dipylidium caninum infection. Taenia infections are controlled by reducing the pet’s contact with intermediate hosts (rabbits and rodents).

How is Dipylidium caninum treated in humans?

Treatment. Praziquantel, adults, 5-10 mg/kg orally in a single-dose therapy. Praziquantel is not approved for treatment of children less than 4 years old but this drug has been used successfully to treat cases of D. caninum infection in children as young as 6 months.

Why is it important to treat Dipylidium caninum?

Dipylidium caninum typically do not cause significant disease in dogs and cats, but because they are aesthetically unpleasant and may pose a zoonotic health risk, treatment is warranted. There have been reports of young puppies having intestinal impaction from massive Dipylidium caninum infections.

What are signs of tapeworm in humans?

Symptoms

Nausea.
Weakness.
Loss of appetite.
Abdominal pain.
Diarrhea.
Dizziness.
Salt craving.
Weight loss and inadequate absorption of nutrients from food.

Is Dipylidium caninum contagious to humans?

The most common tapeworm is called Dipylidium caninum. These are easy-to-treat tapeworms in cats, and they are not contagious to humans. Dipylidium is something veterinarians see every day.

What is the best defense against tapeworm infection?

Thoroughly cooking pork, beef, and freshwater fish can help prevent the infection. Antiparasitic drugs such as praziquantel may be used to treat infection in the intestine, and albendazole and/or praziquantel plus corticosteroids may be used to relieve symptoms caused by cysts in the brain.

Can tapeworms go to your brain?

Cysticercosis is an infection caused by the larvae of the parasite Taenia solium. This infection occurs after a person swallows tapeworm eggs. The larvae get into tissues such as muscle and brain, and form cysts there (these are called cysticerci).

What are the signs of a tapeworm in humans?

Can tapeworms cause death?

Death can occur in severe cases of infection. Organ function disruption. When larvae migrate to the liver, lungs or other organs, they become cysts.

How common is Dipylidium caninum in dogs?

Disease in dogs and cats due to infection with adult Dipylidium caninum is considered rare. Passage of proglottids may be associated with perianal irritation. The reported prevalence of Dipylidium caninum in published studies varies from 4.0% to 60.0% in dogs and 1.8% to 52.7% in cats.

What is causal agent Dipylidium caninum?

How do you get Dipylidium?

For a person to become infected with Dipylidium, he or she must accidentally swallow an infected flea. Most reported cases involve children. The most effective way to prevent infections in pets and humans is through flea control.

What are the stages of Dipylidium caninum infection?

Stages 1 Dipylidium caninum egg packets are found within proglottids and usually contain clusters of 25-30 eggs and are 120-200µm in length. 2 Proglottids are shed in the feces of an infected dog or cat. 3 After ingestion by a flea or louse, the embryo develops into a cysticercoid, the metacestode stage.