Which parasite is described as a large, flat, segmented worm with proglottids seen in stool?

Which parasite is described as a large, flat, segmented worm with proglottids seen in stool?

• A. Taenia species
• B. Ascaris lumbricoides
• C. Enterobius vermicularis
• D. Ancylostoma duodenale

Answer: (A)

Recognize tapeworms. A large, flat, segmented worm with proglottids seen in stool is characteristic of cestodes, specifically Taenia species (beef or pork tapeworms). The worm’s body is a chain of segments called proglottids, which can detach and pass in the stool as gravid segments that contain eggs. This differs from the other listed parasites: Ascaris lumbricoides is a large roundworm without segmented proglottids; Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm) is a small nematode diagnosed by perianal itching and eggs around the anus; Ancylostoma duodenale (hookworm) is a slender nematode with eggs seen in stool, not segmented proglottids. So the description most fits Taenia species.

Recognize tapeworms. A large, flat, segmented worm with proglottids seen in stool is characteristic of cestodes, specifically Taenia species (beef or pork tapeworms). The worm’s body is a chain of segments called proglottids, which can detach and pass in the stool as gravid segments that contain eggs. This differs from the other listed parasites: Ascaris lumbricoides is a large roundworm without segmented proglottids; Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm) is a small nematode diagnosed by perianal itching and eggs around the anus; Ancylostoma duodenale (hookworm) is a slender nematode with eggs seen in stool, not segmented proglottids. So the description most fits Taenia species.