Fox tapeworm: Care is required when eating berries, leaves and mushrooms from the wild
As we can see from ripped rubbish bags and disturbed garden beds, foxes are no longer a rarity in Switzerland's urban centres. However, foxes also introduce health problems, including the fox tapeworm, into these settings. This health tip gives you the facts about this issue and tells how to protect yourself.
The territories inhabited by people and foxes increasingly overlap, and that's no problem at all for the foxes. As well as berries, fallen fruit, mice and insects, foxes also feed on our food and our waste. But the urban fox isn't always alone on its forays through our towns. It can carry an unpleasant passenger: the fox tapeworm.
What is a fox tapeworm?
The adult tapeworms live in the small intestine of the fox and are also occasionally found in dogs. The eggs of the fox tapeworm are excreted with the animal's faeces, survive for months and can therefore contaminate raw food or drinking water. In most cases, people become infected by eating raw vegetables grown close to the ground in their own gardens or through direct contact with infected animals or their faeces.You should be careful when eating berries, leaves or mushrooms picked close to the ground. Dr Silke Schmitt Oggier, Medical Director at santé24
Fox tapeworm infection
The fox tapeworm larvae develop in the small intestine of the infected person and spread through the blood to the liver (also to other organs in some rare cases). Cysts form there and have an adverse effect on the organ in question. The illness is identified from the damage it does to the affected organ, but sometimes only after months or years. Fox tapeworm infections can be controlled in most cases if they are detected and treated early (surgical removal of the parasites plus medication). In the worst-case scenario, a fox tapeworm infection can be fatal.In Switzerland, there is no requirement to report fox tapeworm infections. For this reason, the Federal Office of Public Health FOPH (information page in German and French) does not provide precise information on the number of new cases. However, the FOPH estimates that there are approximately 10 to 20 cases each year.
How can I protect myself?
Dr Silke Schmitt Oggier, Medical Director at santé24 advises: "You should be careful when eating berries, leaves or mushrooms picked close to the ground". The FOPH recommends that forest fruits as well as vegetables, leaves and berries from your own garden should be washed thoroughly or even cooked before consumption. Deep-freezing these foods does not help because the eggs are not killed off by a temperature of minus 20 degrees. Always use a plastic glove or bag when touching fox or dog faeces and put them in the rubbish immediately. Wash your hands thoroughly following contact with a dog or fox and after working in the garden.SWICA BENECURA
You have had severe stomach pains and diarrhoea since yesterday morning. You don't know whether you should go to your family doctor, a pharmacy, or even the hospital. The BENECURA app from SWICA supports you when you feel unwell or become ill SWICA customers can use the SymptomCheck feature of the BENECURA app, which was developed by doctors, to obtain information easily, quickly and reliably and immediately receive a personal recommendation about what to do next.21.10.2020
In the event of further health-related questions, SWICA customers can contact the santé24 telemedicine service free of charge on +41 44 404 86 86. A telemedicine practice licence allows santé24 physicians to provide additional medical services in cases that are suited to a telemedicine approach. SWICA customers can also use the BENECURA medical app to carry out a digital SymptomCheck and receive recommendations about what to do next. During a subsequent phone call with santé24, customers can decide for themselves whether to release their information from SymptomCheck to santé24.
