Additional Records of Dipylidium Caninum Infections in Children in the United States with Observations on Treatment
Summary
Four additional cases of human infection with Dipylidium caninum are recorded, making a total of 13 such infections reported from children in the United States. One of these patients exhibited symptoms attributable to the tapeworm infection, two were asymptomatic and one experienced only vague abdominal discomfort. In all cases the presence of proglottids in the stool led the parents to seek medical advice.
Three of the four patients were successfully treated with atabrine. The remaining one was successfully treated with dithiazanine iodide. In the latter case the worm or worms were apparently digested in situ.
Author Notes
Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas.
University of Texas Postgraduate School of Medicine and Baylor University School of Medicine, Houston, Texas.