HYMENOLEPIS NANA

Hymenolepis Nana is the smallest of all tapeworms and is sometimes called the Dwarf Tapeworm. It is spread on a global level including Central America, the USA, Russia, India, Argentina and many other places though we see clients from Middle East and Europe having it more often than from other locations. This parasite does not need an intermediate host.

Lifecycle
Humans are the main host of Hymenolepis. The eggs gets ingested and reaches the intestines and adult worms attach to the small intestinal lining. Most eggs will get excreted but some can stay and cause another auto-infection, making the infection be able to continue for the entire host life.

Humans get infected by ingesting insects infected by the parasite eggs or from another human being due to poor sanitation and hygiene.

Incubation time is usually a few weeks and a full grown worm is usually around 1.54 cm long.

Treatment

When treated with the right pharmaceutical drugs the treatment is efficient.

Sources

CDC – DPDx – Hymenolepiasis

Hymenolepis nana (Dwarf Tapeworm) Infection – Infectious Diseases – MSD Manual Professional Edition (msdmanuals.com)