Dangerous Tapeworm Prevalent in Mexico and Southern US Poor Communities

GlobeTracker| Tapeworm infections of the brain infect perhaps up to 10 percent of the population in Mexico. Epileptic seizures associated with the tapeworms are increasing in Mexico and southern states in the US.

The worm often grows to more than one-half inch long, enveloped in a fluid-filled cyst. While cysts in the muscles generally don’t cause symptoms, those in the eyes can cause blurry vision. Brain cysts are the most dramatic of all, causing headaches, encephalitis and seizures. Less common symptoms include confusion and difficulty with balance.

The tapeworm is transmitted via eating undercooked pork, poor drinking water and touching surfaces contaminated with feces and is prevalent in poor communities. Read on at Science Daily Tapeworm brain infection ‘serious health concern’.