Taenia saginata – tapeworms from eating contaminated beef.
Taenia solium and taenia asiatica – tapeworms found in pork.
Diphyllobothrium latum – tapeworms in humans from eating undercooked or raw fish.
Lifecycle of a tapeworm in humans
Getting rid of tapeworm parasites in humans can be a challenge because of their lifecycle. Dr. Richard D. Pearson from the University of Virginia School of Medicine says that the lifecycle of a tapeworm is as follows:3
Tapeworm larvae or eggs enter the body through contaminated food.
The tapeworm grows in the intestines and attaches itself to the intestinal wall.
The tapeworm grows into a segmented body. Sometimes the segments break off and you can see tapeworm segments in stool.
The tapeworm also produces more eggs that end up in human stool.
Tapeworm infections in humans can happen when spheres from the parasite enter the bloodstream. This can cause cysts in the liver, brain, or other organs.
What Does a Tapeworm Look Like?
When you see a picture of a tapeworm, you will notice that the parasite looks like a long, segmented worm.
Doctors from the National Health Services say that tapeworms can resemble a measuring tape because they are flat and look like a ribbon. When you have a tapeworm infection, your poop may also show signs of a tapeworm in it. Parts of tapeworm in stool can look like grains of white or yellow rice that wriggle around.4
Tapeworms can also grow very long. Some tapeworms may be as short as 2 inches (50 mm); however, many tapeworms from infected beef or pork can grow as long as 15 to 30 feet (4 to 8 m). Doctors from the Mayo Clinic report that some tapeworms grow to 80 feet (25 m)!5
Tapeworm Pictures
Pictures of tapeworms show that they look like flat, ribbon-like worms that have a head, neck, and segmented body
