Hookworms enter the body through the skin - for instance, if a person walks barefoot on contaminated soil. Their name refers to how one end of the body tapers off into a needle or hook shape. It then helps dissolve the worm so it can pass through the digestive system and leave the body during a bowel movement. This drug paralyzes the worm, forcing it to detach from the intestinal wall. Praziquantel (Biltricide) can remove a tapeworm. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that fewer than 1,000 new cases of tapeworms occur each year in the U.S. Tapeworm eggs can also be present in water and may enter the body if a person consumes contaminated water. In the brain, they can lead to:Įxperts believe that in areas where it occurs, it is responsible for up to 70% of epilepsy cases. solium larvae can cause cysts in the skin, eyes, muscles, and CNS. solium has a significant impact on health. saginata comes from beef or pig liver and occurs mainly in places where people eat raw beef, such as Eastern Europe, Russia, eastern Africa, and Latin America.Īccording to the World Health Organization (WHO), only T. asiatica comes from beef or pig liver and mostly occurs in Korea, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Thailand. It is more common in Latin America, Eastern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, India, and Asia, but it also occurs in the U.S. solium) comes from raw or undercooked pork. There are several types, including the following: TapewormĪ tapeworm is a type of flatworm that lives in the intestine, where it attaches itself to the intestinal wall. Various types of intestinal worms can affect people. Types of worms and how they enter the body A doctor can advise on a suitable approach if a person has worms during pregnancy. This may increase the risk of complications. Pregnancy does not increase the risk of getting intestinal worms, but some antiparasitic medications may not be safe during this time. Pinworms, the most common type of worms in the U.S., are more common in places where people live or spend time closely together, such as child care settings and residential care homes. being unable to read, which can affect health and safety awareness.having a weakened immune system, for example, due to older age or HIV.duodenale).įactors that increase the risk of infection due to a worm include: americanus) and Ancylostoma duodenale ( A. Sanitation problems often play a role, but intestinal worms can happen anywhere.Ĭommon types in the United States are the pinworm Enterobius vermicularis and the hookworms Necator americanus ( N. Worms can enter the body in various ways, depending on the type.

Flat worms