The Diphyllobothrium latum is a parasite popularly known as “tapeworm” of fish, as it is mainly found in these animals and reaches about 10 meters. Transmission to humans occurs through consumption of raw, undercooked or smoked fish that can become infected with this parasite and cause diphenylbotoriosis disease.
Most cases of diplilobotoriosis are asymptomatic, but some people may have gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, as well as intestinal obstruction. Diagnosis of the disease should be made by the family doctor or infectious disease by parasitological examination of the stool, in which the parasite structures or eggs are searched, which usually appear about 5 to 6 weeks after infection.
- Most cases of diplilobotoriosis are asymptomatic.
- But some people may show signs and symptoms of infection.
- The main ones being:.
Signs and symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency and anemia, such as weakness, excessive fatigue, unwillingness, pale skin, and headaches, such as, may also occur. In addition, if diphenobotrious is not identified and treated, there may also be intestinal obstruction and changes in the gallbladder due to migration of parasite proglotis, which are parts of your body that contain reproductive organs and your eggs.
Diphyllobothrium latum eggs, when in water and under adequate conditions, can become embryonic and develop in the coracidio state, which are ingested by the crustaceans present in the water. Therefore, crustaceans are considered the first intermediate hosts of the parasite.
In crustaceans, coraccida develops to the first larval stage. These crustaceans, in turn, end up being ingested by small fish and release the larvae, which develop until the second larval stage, which is able to invade the tissues, so it is considered the infectious stage of Diphyllobothrium latum. In addition to being present in small fish, the infectious larvae of Diphyllobothrium latum can also be found in larger fish that feed on small fish.
Transmission to humans occurs from the moment the person consumes infected fish, large and small, without proper hygiene or preparation. In the human body, these larvae develop into the adult stage in the intestine, remaining attached to the intestinal lining by a structure present in its head. Adult worms can grow up to about 10 meters and can have more than 3000 proglotis, which are segments of your body that contain reproductive organs and release eggs.
The treatment of dimethylbotriosis is done with the use of antiparasitic remedies that should be recommended by the family doctor or an infectious disease. Parasite.
In addition to following the treatment recommended by your doctor, it is also important that safety measures are taken to prevent a new infection, such as proper cooking of fish before eating it. In the case of fish used in the preparation of sushi, for example, it is important that it freezes before handling it for consumption, since temperatures of -20oC are able to inhibit the activity of the parasite.