Beware of tapeworms: Everything you need to know about Echinococcus granulosus

Hey there.

How can you tell if someone's caught the flu? Beyond the standard doctor visits and tests...
I’m wondering if there are any early warning signs. Any specific aches or physical changes that tip you off?!
If you catch it, things could get pretty serious...
Thanks for the input.

Blood work, X-rays, and serology tests.

The symptoms are incredibly subtle and sparse 😁 as Lawrence Wells mentioned, just a quick photo session and some bloodwork for serology... don't wait if you suspect an infection; if the shell breaks, things won't go well...

But that’s the whole point... how do you even "predict" if you've been exposed?
I’ve been reading up on this condition, and it’s clearly no joke... pretty serious stuff. But there’s nothing out there explaining the early warning signs. It feels pointless to schedule an appointment at the Mayo Clinic if I don't have a reason to be worried. The literature covers the treatment—surgery, specific diagnostic tests—but it stays silent on the actual symptoms. You know, things like loss of appetite, nausea, or localized pain......

Thanks for the input.

Your symptoms are pretty vague—it’s hard to pin down. You might just feel some heaviness or a dull ache in your stomach area.

You can go years without a single symptom—just living your life—until the disease is fully developed and has already started tearing through your internal organs. Honestly, what exactly is there to be afraid of? Are you keeping a pack of unvaccinated, filthy strays around the house, or maybe you’re out here eating raw meat and unwashed salad every day?😉

All I can really tell you is that there aren't any specific symptoms you can just "sense" to know if you're infected.
If you’ve got a hunch, you definitely need to hit up a doctor so they can run the actual tests.
But honestly, you're coming at this with a pretty weird assumption here... 😉you're just "guessing"??? based on what exactly?

It’s been a few months since I had some contact with a dog carrying mange, so I'm wondering how I should go about getting tested.

If anyone has any advice, I'd appreciate it.

What does the diagnostic process actually look like? Is it just a blood test or something else?

So, did you catch a case of mange? Or maybe you just decided to go out and eat a dog? 😁
I mean, it seems highly unlikely that you’d just catch something like that through simple contact, especially when you consider how many volunteers at local animal shelters deal with dogs suffering from mange on a daily basis without ever breaking a sweat. It’s almost like they're immune, I guess. As far as I know, there isn't really any specific testing for this sort of thing, though if you're feeling particularly paranoid about it, you could always just take an antihistamine or something—or better yet, maybe just ask your doctor what specifically you should be looking for.

Angela Wright said:http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/echinococcosis...

I feel like I’ve read this before, but it doesn't really tell me when you can actually detect an infection preventatively. Like, how do you treat it before it hits the bloodstream and starts forming cysts? And can you even get rid of the tapeworm once it's inside a person? This just talks about treating the secondary symptoms, not the actual thing itself.

I'm also wondering if someone could catch it if they washed their hands after playing around with stuff—I think I read somewhere that high temperatures are the only way to kill it because the eggs are pretty stubborn against disinfectants... maybe.

Anyway, thanks. 🙂

Look, you can tear down a plot hole just like any other bad script, but if you actually think you’ve picked up some kind of infection, don't just sit there... go talk to the general practitioner and have them refer you to an infectious disease specialist if you have a legitimate reason to be worried about catching something...

Hey there!
I’ve got a situation on my hands. My little pup seems to have picked up some fleas, and she’s basically a walking vacuum—constantly running around the house licking everything, chewing on things, and dragging dirt in. I need some serious advice: what should I be using to disinfect the house, the carpets, her gear, and even my own shoes? As far as the pests themselves go, we’re heading to the vet, and this time I’m demanding something much stronger than that cheap paste she was given a few days ago. But honestly, I'm losing sleep over the idea of flea eggs spreading through the house and potentially jumping onto us. Please, let me know if you know of any specific disinfectant that actually works on furniture and surfaces. Is Clorox enough to get the job done, or do I need to go out and buy some heavy-duty industrial stuff?
Thanks in advance. I really hope someone gets back to me soon because I can't even sleep right now worrying about these damn bugs.🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

Hello, I have a six-month-old puppy that hasn't been treated for parasites yet—specifically worms and tapeworms. To be honest, there have been several instances where the dog licked my face, and while I make sure to wash my hands after touching him, I always wash my face too (I even brushed my teeth), I’ve recently been reading about tapeworms and Echinococcosis. From what I can gather, this disease sounds incredibly serious, though some sources suggest it might be treatable if caught. I suppose it's probably best not to take any chances here, so I wanted to ask for advice. How should I approach a doctor to request testing for Echinococcus? What kind of symptoms should I actually be looking for? I've read claims that the infection can sit dormant in your body for years before suddenly causing a major health crisis, though I couldn't tell if that's entirely accurate. I am quite concerned, frankly. If anyone could guide me on how to handle the medical side of things—what to ask a physician and how to get tested—I would appreciate it. Additionally, how do I properly clear the puppy of these parasites? How often does he need treatment? And if I manage to successfully deworm the dog, does that mean I am no longer at risk of catching anything from him? Thank you. 😢 🤷 ☕

you're totally overreacting

Austin James5 said:Hi, I have a 6-month-old puppy that hasn't been treated for parasites yet—specifically worms and tapeworms.

Dealing with tapeworms usually happens at the same time you get them vaccinated for rabies. If your pup hasn't had any internal parasite treatment, it’s safe to assume they haven't been vaccinated for rabies either. That would actually put you in violation of local laws, since rabies shots are legally required once a year...

In this case, just take your dog to the vet for the vaccination. While you're there, they can chip him, give him the necessary deworming tablets, and let you know if he'll need follow-up doses depending on what shows up in his stool...
Generally, it's recommended to treat dogs for tapeworms about three or four times a year.
You can also pick up some tablets at Petco or similar pet supply stores.

But seriously, please get that dog its rabies shot if you haven't already...

Look, my vet told me the rabies vaccine should be administered at 10 months old, 🙂 so if that's wrong, then he’s the one to blame. And honestly, what am I even supposed to do? Maybe I actually picked up echinococcus while I was out in the suburbs. 🙂 How can you even tell if a dog has tapeworms in the first place? Plus, what are the odds that I caught something myself? He licked my face two or three times.

I actually had a neighbor's Labrador lick my face once—right near my mouth, too—because I love petting him. Honestly, I didn't panic about catching something. I just assumed the dog was vaccinated... I mean, I've overheard the owners talking about their vet visits quite a bit, and he always looks so well-cared for.

Sent from my iPhone 13 using Reddit

Austin James5 said:Look, my vet told me rabies shots start at 10 months, 🙂 so if they're wrong, that's on them. What am I even supposed to do? Maybe I picked up some tapeworms at the local park or something 🙂 How do you even tell if a dog has worms? And what are the odds I caught something? He licked my face like 2 or 3 times.

If the vet said 10 months, then that's when it happens. You can't just do it earlier.

Austin James5 said:Look, my vet told me rabies shots start at 10 months, 🙂 so if they're wrong, that's on them. What am I supposed to do? Maybe I picked up some echinococcus while out in the suburbs 🙂 How do you even tell if a dog has tapeworms? And what are the odds I actually caught something? He licked my face a couple of times.

While you're sitting there waiting for tapeworms to show up, just give the dog some dewormer already.☕