Tapeworm - an expat sweepstake

[Forethat]

As the title suggest, this is about tapeworm. A rather unpleasant parasitic flatworm that lives in the digestive tract. In case you've never heard of it, now you have.

So there we were, 6 friends, expats and fellow rugby lovers (that's an irrelevant piece of information, right there) enjoying a beer discussing the 2013 Lions tour results. For some unexplainable reason, the discussion came to cover tapeworms. At that point one of us questioned whether it was feasible that one or more of us was infected by tapeworm.

So, to make a long story short, we decided to bet on the number of us infected with tapeworm. One week later, we delivered our stool samples and awaited the results (and I just want add, on a personal note, that this is one of the most bizarre things I've ever done).

I will reveal the results in a couple of days, but until then you're free top enter my virtual sweepstake by voting on what you believe is the correct number of expats, out of 6, infected with tapeworm.

Relevant facts:

6 expats

One Australian, five Europeans.

All have lived at least 3 years in LOS

Good luck!

Edited August 20, 2013 by Forethat

[Jingthing]

Someone brought up tapeworm? Party pooper.

[crazygreg44]

no poll needed. Foreigners who intend to live in Thailand, will collect all information regarding their

new home.

To get infested with a tapeworm is rare in rural Thailand. The people are aware of it, The King told them.

Only problem that can arise is the kids forget it. The kids are the future. They rent out the water buckets

to you.

1 plus 1 is two. Never trust anything here.

CG

[Sheryl]

Since tapeworm is generally acquired from incompletely cooked meat/fish, it would help to know something of the eating habits of the farang in question.

[Chonburiram]

Why is there no "0" option?

[impulse]

Why is there no "0" option?

Wouldn't have been much of a thread if nobody had them....

[Jingthing]

Why is there no "0" option?

Wouldn't have been much of a thread if nobody had them....

Or one ...

[GirlDrinkDrunk]

who cares? thailand full time since 1996 and i dont know ANYONE who has ever had a tapeworm.

know a few fat bastards that could use one though

Edited August 21, 2013 by GirlDrinkDrunk

[Jingthing]

who cares? thailand full time since 1996 and i dont know ANYONE who has ever had a tapeworm.

know a few fat bastards that could use one though

I think the point in the OP is that many people have got them without being aware of it.

[GirlDrinkDrunk]

then it aint that bad is it?

[Jingthing]

then it aint that bad is it?

No relation at all.

Many people are walking around with all kind of health problems without knowing it:

HIV, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, thryroid disease, etc.

[GirlDrinkDrunk]

i suspect the point was to make us all play a silly little guessing game. if the post were intended to be informative we would have the results of their tests already.

[Forethat]

who cares? thailand full time since 1996 and i dont know ANYONE who has ever had a tapeworm.

Neither of us had heard of anyone with tapeworm, so no difference there

[Forethat]

Since tapeworm is generally acquired from incompletely cooked meat/fish, it would help to know something of the eating habits of the farang in question.

I would say pretty much normal eating habits. A mixture of everything, obviously biased towards Thai food because we're in Thailand.

[Forethat]

i suspect the point was to make us all play a silly little guessing game. if the post were intended to be informative we would have the results of their tests already.

Nope, the point is I wanted to find out if our understanding of tapeworm infection rate in LOS is representative for the average expat.

[Morakot]

Someone brought up tapeworm? Party pooper.

This reminds me of the time when we all recited our ingrown toenail stories at this cracking party. ...

Edited August 21, 2013 by Morakot

[GirlDrinkDrunk]

comparing hemorrhoids can be a hoot as well.

next we will get pics of him and his buddies hanging their butts out over plates of rancid meat in an attempt to coax the worms out for a picture

[Commander Tamson]

I have a tapeworm; his name's Pete. We have an agreement whereby I can have as many hamburgers, chocolate, pizzas etc as I like and he keeps me at around 72kg. Seems to working out fine.

Symbiosis Rules!

[CWMcMurray]

Would also be helpful to know height and weight...

If one of you is a skinny bastard that eats twice as much as everyone else and is still loosing weight....

Then my vote is on him...

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[Forethat]

comparing hemorrhoids can be a hoot as well.

next we will get pics of him and his buddies hanging their butts out over plates of rancid meat in an attempt to coax the worms out for a picture

If I ask you nicely, can you please refrain from making this type of comments? This is the health forum, if your intention is to to treat this issue as fun, please start your own topic in a forum where it is appropriate. Please.

Thanks

[Forethat]

Would also be helpful to know height and weight...

If one of you is a skinny bastard that eats twice as much as everyone else and is still loosing weight....

Then my vote is on him...

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

None of us is skinny or losing weight. I'd guess we're all between 13-15 stone (~80-95kg), something in that region. Average height. Nothing unusual.

[Forethat]

And the answer is....all of us. 6 expats.

That's right. We were all infected with tapeworm. Every single one of us.

What is so disturbing with this, something Jingthing immediately recognised, is the general belief is that when you suffer from a tapeworm infection you lose weight and become skinny, but a lot of expats are probably infected without being aware of it . I was the one who brought it up because I have undergone tapeworm treatment a couple of times now so I now how easy it is to catch.

As Sheryl pointed out, this is a parasitic infection you're likely to catch if you eat undercooked meat (or fish). If you eat a steak that is only a fraction undercooked, the chance of getting infected with tapeworm in Thailand is scary high.

[Jingthing]

Wow! 6. Shocking.

[GirlDrinkDrunk]

comparing hemorrhoids can be a hoot as well.

next we will get pics of him and his buddies hanging their butts out over plates of rancid meat in an attempt to coax the worms out for a picture

If I ask you nicely, can you please refrain from making this type of comments? This is the health forum, if your intention is to to treat this issue as fun, please start your own topic in a forum where it is appropriate. Please.

Thanks

agreed, apologies, i came upon the post from the new content button and did not note that it was the health forum. the title and way it was presented smacked of general as well.

Edited August 22, 2013 by GirlDrinkDrunk

[Jingthing]

No more voting. That's cheating. Just saying!

[Forethat]

No more voting. That's cheating. Just saying!

What'd you vote for...?

[jrtmedic]

All you need to know about tapeworm

Here

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tapeworm/DS00659

[Commander Tamson]

And the answer is....all of us. 6 expats.

That's right. We were all infected with tapeworm. Every single one of us.

What is so disturbing with this, something Jingthing immediately recognised, is the general belief is that when you suffer from a tapeworm infection you lose weight and become skinny, but a lot of expats are probably infected without being aware of it . I was the one who brought it up because I have undergone tapeworm treatment a couple of times now so I now how easy it is to catch.

As Sheryl pointed out, this is a parasitic infection you're likely to catch if you eat undercooked meat (or fish). If you eat a steak that is only a fraction undercooked, the chance of getting infected with tapeworm in Thailand is scary high.

Are you serious? Or just taking the P.....? Next TV headline we see - "Local clinics/hospitals inundated with Farang Stool Samples"

[tropo]

Since tapeworm is generally acquired from incompletely cooked meat/fish, it would help to know something of the eating habits of the farang in question.

Having had a beef tapeworm recently (beginning of last year) I can give some useful advice here.

12 hours of freezing kills the larvae cysts in infected meat, so if you like to eat rare Thai beef, freeze it first - problem solved.

I won't eat any rare meat outside my home unless I know it's imported beef.

It will take at least 3 months after you've eaten tapeworm larvae to discover evidence in the toilet or your underwear so bear that in mind if you get your stool tested. Unless you can see the proglotidds (tape worm segments about 1 inch long) it's unlikely a stool examination will be useful. I first noticed these little buggers in my underwear - didn't have a clue what it was as they were dead and looked like pieces of shredded coconut and sticky. They crawl out of the anus while you're sleeping.

Tissue invasive infections are far more serious and will require blood tests. Pork tapeworms can invade body tissue (eyes, heart, brain) whereas the beef type stay in the intestine. Fortunately no one usually eats rare pork except by accident.

[tropo]

who cares? thailand full time since 1996 and i dont know ANYONE who has ever had a tapeworm.

know a few fat bastards that could use one though

Lets just say that no one you know is aware that they have a tapeworm. You can have them for years and hardly be aware of them unless you carefully examine your stool. The majority of people with tapeworms display not symptoms, and the mild digestive symptoms they may have can be easily passed off. I'd put money down that some people you've known since 1996 have tapeworms. I'm sure many people would even be shy to admit they had a big worm.

And the suggestion that tapeworms will make or help you lose weight is nonsense. The calorie consumption of a tapeworm is extremely small.

Edited August 23, 2013 by tropo