Cape Karen
When was the last time you ordered a pizza? How about that fast food you love so much at Taco Bell? Do you have a favorite "authentic" Mexican restaurant you like to frequent? Or, are you a vegan who eats no meat or dairy products, so you don't worry much about contaminated foods (like us meat-eaters) causing you ill effects? Well, you just might want to read this if any of that is the case.
It used to be that warnings against various illnesses and infections, caused by unsanitary conditions or uncooked foods, were restricted to people traveling to and from third world countries. However, as more and more people have moved to the U.S. from various third world countries, there has been a marked increase in our emergency rooms of people coming in with unexplained seizures and other confusing symptoms. This was first noticed in California and Arizona, but now it has spread all the way to the East coast, and is occurring in many communities throughout the country.
A case in New York's Jewish community drew a great deal of attention a few years ago, and gave investigators their first real lead on the cause of these unexplained seizures. A 14 year-old orthodox Jewish boy, suffering from seizures, was found to have a tapeworm infection called, "cysticercosis." These particular tapeworms only come from infected pork. BUT... this family didn't eat pork, as it was against their religion. Then others, in the same Jewish community, also began presenting with these unexplained seizures ~ and the search was on!
To make a long story short - it was found, after the Center for Disease Control (CDC) conducted home interviews with the families affected, that all of these families employed domestic help from Mexico. Their tapeworm infestation did not come from uncooked pork at all, it came from infected household help who hadn't properly washed their hands before handling their food. These workers were unknowingly depositing the egg larvae right into their foods and onto other surfaces in their homes. The household workers did not know they were infected, anymore than we will know if we get infected, because the infestation had happened years ago, in their home country, from eating contaminated pork. Many Mexicans in the country today are silent carriers.
It is now believed that thousands of illnesses, and even some deaths, have unknowingly been caused by cysticercosis. It has often been misdiagnosed, and therefore untreated, and the brain cysts, seen by MRI, were thought to be brain tumors. That was the case of the Jewish boy, until his blood was tested. Those of us in the U.S. who have been infected without knowing it are what they call, "dead-end hosts." (How thrilling!)
"When humans ingest eggs, through fecal-oral transmission or possibly through autoinfection, they become dead-end hosts of the larval stage of the parasite and develop cysticercosis. Fecal-oral contamination usually occurs viá infected food handlers who do not appropriately wash their hands before working, or by fruit and vegetables fertilized with contaminated human waste." © 2007 The American Academy of Family Physicians
Nope. You don't have to eat contaminated pork to get this particular tapeworm anymore - it can now happen from just eating a meal out, eating a pizza made by someone infected or ingesting eggs that got on your hands from touching a contaminated surface. With so many people coming into the U.S. these days without being screened for parasitic infections or other diseases, we all need to take whatever precautions we can to avoid contamination, while trying not to become paranoid!
I don't know about you, but since learning of this, I'm not about to eat at Mexican restaurants, nor will I hire foreign workers from third world countries as domestic workers in my home. And, I think I'll start scrubbing my fruits and vegetables, that could have been fertilized with contaminated human waste or handled by infected farm workers, with some good,old hydrogen peroxide - just in case!
Q & A:
Can this infection be spread from person to person?
No. Not from coughing or sneezing, for example. However, a person who is infected with the intestinal tapeworm stage of the infection (T. solium) will shed tapeworm eggs in their bowel movements. Those tapeworm eggs, deposited in food or on other surfaces, and swallowed, can cause this infection.
What are the symptoms of cysticercosis?
There are none until the parasite eggs develop into cysts which eventually enter the brain, eyes, muscles and other organs. Headaches, seizures, muscle aches and other pains can manifest, depending on how many cysts are present. Seizures are often the first symptom that something is wrong.
Should I be tested for an intestinal tapeworm infection?
Yes. Family members should also be tested. Because the tapeworm infection can be difficult to diagnose by blood tests alone, your health care provider may ask you to submit several stool specimens over several days to examine them for evidence of tapeworms.
How can I prevent cysticercosis and other disease causing germs?
* Avoid eating raw or undercooked pork and other meats.
* Don’t eat ham that comes from pigs that are likely to be infected.
* Wash your hands with soap and water after using the toilet and before handling food, especially when traveling in developing countries.
* Wash and peel all raw vegetables and fruits before eating.
* Drink only bottled or boiled (1 minute) water, or carbonated drinks in cans and bottles. Do not drink fast-food machine fountain drinks or any drinks with ice cubes. Another way to make your water safe is by filtering it through an "absolute 1 micron or less" filter AND dissolving iodine tablets in the filtered water. ("Absolute 1 micron" filters can be found in camping/outdoor supply stores.)