They're voracious parasites that burrow into gut walls and devour nutrients like a nightmarish version of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. But not all tapeworms are bad news. In fact, one type appears to protect against memory loss in rats.
What is the usefulness of tapeworm?
The rat tapeworm has been used in the laboratory for decades and blocks experimentally induced colitis in mice more effectively than daily immunosuppression with steroids. In fact, this is the same helminth we use in my lab to protect the developing brains of rat pups from inflammation.
Do tapeworms do anything to humans?
In rare cases, tapeworms can lead to serious complications, including blocking the intestine, or smaller ducts in the intestine (like the bile duct or pancreatic duct). If pork tapeworm larvae move out of the intestine, they can migrate to other parts of the body and cause damage to the liver, eyes, heart, and brain.
Why do humans get tapeworms?
Overview. Tapeworm infection is caused by ingesting food or water contaminated with tapeworm eggs or larvae. If you ingest certain tapeworm eggs, they can migrate outside your intestines and form larval cysts in body tissues and organs (invasive infection).
What is the economic importance of tapeworm?
The economic importance of the fringed tapeworm is due primarily to its effect on the bile ducts of the liver, which become enlarged and inflamed and make the liver unfit for human food. Sheep in most instances suffer only slight ill effects from the fringed tapeworm.
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