HYMENOLEPIS

NANA
GREEK - hymen - membrane

lepis - covering

nanus - dwarf
INTRODUCTION
• Also known as dwarf tapeworm.
(nanus: dwarf)

• Discovery: Bilharz (1857)

• Smallest and the most common

tapeworm found in the human
intestine.
 HABITAT

● Proximal ileum of man

• Most commonly found in warm
that cold place.
 Egypt
 Spain
 South America
 India
 EPIDEMIOLOGY

●• Most common tapeworm

● throughout the world.

●• 50 - 70 million infected worldwide.

●• Most commonly seen in children

● although adults are also infected.
 MORPHOLOGY

• ADULT WORM
 • Length: 5 - 45 mm
 • Thickness: <1mm
 • Parts: 1. Head (Scolex)
 2. Neck
 3. Trunk (strobila)
 MORPHOLOGY - ADULT WORM

1. Head
Components - 4 suckers
- Rostellum
20 - 30 hooks
2. Neck
Starts immediately behind the head.
Growth of the segmented body
 MORPHOLOGY
3. Trunk
- Chain of segment
- Proglottids bear male and female
reproductive organ (hermaphrodite)
- Surrounded by tegument
 MORPHOLOGY
• Egg
○ Shape: spherical or ovoid
○ Size: 30-40 micrometer
○ Structure: Layers
○ Outer Membrane
○ Inner Membrane
○ Non bile stained
○ Immediately infective when
they are shed in the feces
○ Don’t survive in external
environment for more than
10 minutes
 Life Cycle
1. Direct Life Cycle
• Host: Man
• Infective Form: Eggs
• Mode of Transmission
- FECO-ORAL Route
- Autoinfection
2. Indirect Life Cycle
• Hosts - Definitive Host: rat and mice
- Intermediate Host: Rat Fleas
• Mode of Transmission:
-Men acquire the infection by accident
ingestion of insects containing cysticercoid.
 Clinical Features
• Usually Asymptomatic
• Symptoms seen in heavy condition and
weak immune system
• Anorexia
• Vomiting
• Abdominal Pain
• Diarrhea
• Irritability
• Pruritis (due to allergic response)
• Eosinophilia
Laboratory Diagnosis

1. Specimen: Feces
Serum

2. Direct Microscopy:
- Eggs with polar filaments between the shell membranes
- It is the only cestode egg that is not stained by bile when passed
through intestine
Laboratory Diagnosis

• Saline Mount
Three pairs of hooklets seen clearly

• Iodine Mount
Polar filaments seen clearly
 Laboratory Diagnosis

3. Concentration Methods
Zinc sulphate flotation method
Formalin Ether sedimintation method

4. Elisa (for antibody detection)

 Treatment
• Niclosamide (2 GMS once for 7 days).

• Praziquantel (25 MG/KG once) is the treatment of choice, since it acts against both
the adult worms and cysticercoid larvae.

• Alternatives
Nitazoxanide (500 MG BD for 3 days)
 Prophylaxis

• Maintenance of good personal hygiene and sanitary

improvements

• Avoiding of consumptions of contaminated food and water

• Rodent control