A Florida man discovered a tapeworm living in the vitreous chamber of his eye—the fluid behind the eye lens, between the cornea. He believed he contracted the worm, Taenia solium, commonly called a pork tapeworm, after eating undercooked pork during the holidays. T. solium passes to humans from consuming raw pork or through contact with human fecal matter.
It’s likely you could speak with a dozen MDs and not find a single one that knows about T. solium. The Merck Manual sheds more light on humans as an intermediate host. In areas where homestead or acreage farming is growing, animal health pros need to help our doctors be aware of the potential risks. Share the article professionally with doctor counterparts.
Source: Pork, February 15, 2018.
Dr. Don Perez said proper diagnosis to save a patient’s life is key. Adult tapeworms may reside in the small bowel for years. They reach 2 to 7 mm in length and produce up to 1000 proglottids; each contains about 50,000 eggs.
INSIGHTS: Articles like this often force reflection on experiences where raw sewage backed up into homes or flowed through the streets during floods. Sludge from waste management plants used as fertilizer or compost is labeled as biosolids. While there is likely no cause for mass alarm we need to remain diligent and communicate.