Dwarf band worm is a small band worm that mammals can have in the gut, especially dogs and foxes. The animals do not get sick but in their feces, there are worm eggs that can infect humans and cause an infection. The infection is called bladder disease.
How to treat bladder disease?
There are two types of dwarf band worm, the dog’s and the foxes. People can be infected through contact with an infected animal’s stool. The disease is not spread between people.
It has been several years since the dwarf band worm was found in any dog , and the risk of being infected is very small. It is also very uncommon for humans to become infected by the fox’s worm band worm.
The disease is more common in other parts of the world.
How can I reduce the risk of being infected?
To protect yourself against the dwarf band worm you should follow the following advice:
- Wash your hands after you have been out in the woods and in the ground or worked in the garden.
- Do not bring in dead animals that you find in the wild with just your hands, but always wear gloves.
- Worm your dog regularly if it catches and eats rodents.
What happens in the body?
The worm eggs hatch and become larvae in the gut after being swallowed down. The larvae then search for different internal organs where they enclose themselves in one or more vesicles. There they grow very slowly.
After ten to fifteen years, the bladders can be so many or so large that they affect the organ they have inserted, usually the liver or lungs.
Symptoms of dwarf band worm
It takes about ten to fifteen years after you become infected before you get any problems.
The symptoms of dwarf band worm depend on which organs have been affected. Some may feel heaviness at the lower part of the ribs if the liver is affected. You may experience prolonged coughing or difficulty breathing if the blisters are in the lungs.
All infected people do not get symptoms.
When and where should I seek care?
Contact a health care center if you have symptoms of dwarf band worm that you suspect may be due to an infection with a midwifery mask.
Treatment for dwarf band worm
The infection is treated with drugs and the treatment may need to last for a long time. Sometimes an operation is needed when a portion of the liver or lung is removed.