Dwarf / Rat tapeworm
Definitive host: Rat and humans.
Intermediate host: Fleas, beetle and cockroaches.
Prevalence & Distribution: It is the most common tapeworm and is distributed across Egypt, India, Latin America and rural parts of southeastern United States. It develops in areas of poor sanitation and warm climates.
Mode of infection: It is the smallest tapeworm. Adult tapeworms are present in the rats or human intestine. The eggs are shed along with the feces and spread directly to man by eating food contaminated with the fecal matter.
Sometimes insects ingest the eggs where it hatches to form the larvae (cysticerci). The insects later contaminate food substances consumed by man. When man/ rat intentionally or unintentionally consume the food contaminated by the insects which harbor the cyst/larvae, the cysticerci passes along with the food into the intestine and then develops in to adult tapeworms.
Symptoms:Abdominal pain that cannot be localized to any particular area, anorexia, diarrhea with mucus are the characteristic symptoms. In rare cases bloody diarrhea is seen.
