Tapeworm infection (taeniasis)

For a lay person:

Taeniasis is an intestinal tapeworm infection caught by eating raw or undercooked beef or pork containing tapeworm larvae. It often causes few symptoms, and people may first notice flat, white worm segments in their stools.

For a trained medical person:

Caused by adult Taenia saginata (beef), T. solium (pork) or T. asiatica in the small intestine; carriers of T. solium can spread eggs that cause cysticercosis in themselves and others. Diagnosis is by stool microscopy, antigen or PCR testing, and identification of passed proglottids. Treatment is a single dose of praziquantel or niclosamide, with evaluation for cysticercosis in T. solium carriers and household contacts.

In Chinese medicine:

Liu and Tseng's textbook differentiates this condition into these patterns: Treatment After Expelling the Parasites. Treatment follows the pattern a patient presents with, not the Western diagnosis alone.

When to get help: See a doctor if you see worm segments in your stools, as treatment is simple and prevents spread of pork tapeworm to others; get urgent care for seizures or severe headache, which may mean cysticercosis.