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Journalism of Courage
Summer or winter, raw salads and and leafy greens are in, especially among the health conscious. But unless sufficient care is taken while cleaning the veggies, it may bring illness instead of health.
No, it is not the a coat of pesticide on the vegetables — though that too is a reason for worry. Cysticercosis, an infection caused by the larval form of the pork tapeworm, has been around long. But it gets worse in winters, when leafy vegetables are consumed at random. Also, due to the general increase in the intake of salads, incidents of this disease are on the rise. Which is why, say doctors, it is essential that people be sensitised about it.
“It is very common, and we keep getting such cases too. It is advised that people should properly wash the vegetables before eating them,” said Professor MV Padma, neurologist, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
Tapeworms, which usually spread through consumption of badly cooked pork, are carried to farmlands where veggies are grown by animals like pigs which act as vectors. Cabbages and cauliflowers have been found to be major sources.
According to neurologists the tapeworm that causes cysticercosis is found worldwide. There is, however, a high prevalence of the infection in areas with poor hygiene where pigs are allowed to roam freely and eat human feces.
Cysticersosis usually attacks any of the three parts of the body — muscles, eyes (ocular) and brain (neurocysticercosis). Of them, neurocysticercosis is said to be most dangerous and could be fatal, if not treated in time. Seizures and headaches are the most common symptoms. This causes swelling in the brain and death can occur suddenly with heavy infections.
In the muscles, the disease does not have any symptoms other than lumps under the skin.
Although rare, cysticerci may float in eyes and cause disturbed vision. Infection in the eyes cause swelling and detachment of the retina.
“People, specially children have become so conscious about their diet that they are want to eat more of salads. The salads and raw vegetable should be avoided to be eaten where we are not very sure. Raw vegetables should definitely be boiled before intaking to avoid this infection,” said Dr Neelam Mohan, consultant paeditrician, Sir Ganga Ram hospital.
HOW THE INFECTION SPEADS
Tapeworm infections are passed in the bowel infection of a person who is infected. “The ova or the egg travels through food pipe and the acid juices of the stomach destroys the outer layer of the ova as the result of this the embryo comes out. This has three pairs of hooklets and then goes into the small intestines from where it burrows through the wall and is taken by the blood stream and gets deposited in the three major organs —brain, eyes, muscles — where it forms the cysticercus,” said Dr RK Sabharwal, senior consultant, Neurology & Epilepsy, Sir Ganga Ram hospital.
