Yes; however, the risk of infection with this tapeworm in humans is very low. For a person to become infected with Dipylidium, he or she must accidentally swallow an infected flea. Most reported cases involve children.
Can you get tapeworm from segments?
Segments can be passed in small groups connected to each other leading the owner to describe a worm that sounds larger than a grain of rice. Tapeworm segments are also quite flat. Some people will mistake maggots in the stool for tapeworms. Maggots are not seen in freshly passed stool and are not flat.
Are tapeworm segments harmful to humans?
However, often tapeworms don't cause symptoms. The only sign of tapeworm infection may be segments of the worms, possibly moving, in a bowel movement. 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).
Do tapeworm segments move in humans?
The adult tapeworm has up to 1,000 segments called proglottids, each of which contain 30,000 to 100,000 eggs. A proglottid separates from the adult and travels out of the intestines with the stool. The segment is about 0.5 to 1 inch in length and can sometimes be seen moving in the stool or on the anus.
Are the segments of tapeworm alive?
There are several medicines that will kill adult tapeworms that live in the intestine. The worms that are passed will be dead, but segments are full of eggs that could potentially hatch.
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