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When you consider that a dog may have thousands of tapeworms in its gut, the number of eggs shed is enormous.

The eggs may be eaten by sheep and other animals as they eat grass which has been contaminated by dogs’ droppings. It can spread to man by handling dogs or by dogs’ droppings contaminating areas where man can come in contact with the eggs and transfer them to his mouth.

Children are often affected because they are more likely to fondle dogs and be unaware of proper hygiene.

When eggs are eaten, they pass to the intestine where they hatch. The embryos burrow through the wall of the intestine and enter the small blood vessels.

From here they go to the liver where they may settle and develop into a cyst. Some move through the liver and pass along to the lung and can set up cysts there. Others can escape through the lung and pass to the heart, then be transported to other areas of the body, such as the brain.

The cysts which form may grow slowly and not cause symptoms for many years. The liver is affected in about 70 per cent of cases, the lungs in about 30 to 40 per cent, and some cases have cysts in two or more areas.

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Its association with menstruating women using tampons was noticed in early 1980 and, there were many cases, with some deaths. Most developed countries reported cases, but the greatest number were in the U.S.

The number of reported cases has now dropped dramatically.

Almost all American cases were associated with one brand of tampon, Rely, which was not available in Australia. This was unique in that it was made of polyester foam and carbonmethyl cellulose, substances not found in other tampons.

What should women now do?

Those who regularly use tampons and find them far more convenient than pads may, in the present

light of our knowledge, continue to do so but they should observe these rules:

Personal hygiene should be scrupulous with proper washing of the hands prior to insertion of the tampon.

Avoid touching the vaginal lips with the tampon and take care not to injure the vaginal wall in inserting it.

Tampons should be changed regularly perhaps four times a day and not be left in overnight.

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