The New England Journal of Medicine has recently published a case report on a 38-year old Chinese who contracted a 20-foot long tapeworm from raw beef. The parasite was purportedly living in the man for two years before it was taken out of his body.
Yahoo News reported that based on the published case report, the man went to his doctor during the spring of 2015, complaining about stomachaches, weakness, vomiting, and loss of appetite. Despite the fact that the symptoms only began three days prior to his consultation, his weight has been drastically reduced by more than five kilograms.
Jian Li, from Renmin Hospital in Shiyan, China and one of the co-authors of the case report, said that the man found a part of the parasite from his stool, which he brought to the doctor for diagnosis. His admission of his penchant for raw beef led to the conclusion of being infected with beef tapeworm.
Accounts of the incident were also published in Medical Daily. In its report, Li mentioned that there are areas where beef tapeworm incidents are high, but the case of the 38-year old victim is the first one recorded in a span of 30 years in the Shiyan area of China.
The tapeworm, scientifically known as the Taenia saginata, is contracted by cows when they get to eat the eggs of this parasite, which are passed through human feces. Beef tapeworm incidents are therefore more common in areas with poor sanitation.
According to Dr. Peter Hotez from the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, tapeworm infections are higher in areas where people eat raw meat like Ethiopia. However, it is considered rare in America and in other countries where raw meat intake is not a common practice.
These parasites can live in humans for a long time and will not cause any symptoms. Hence, it is best to avoid it by steering clear of raw meat in the diet.
