Yes, humans can get tapeworms from their pets, this is one of the reasons for keeping up to date with their deworming medication.
No, Tapeworms have to go through an intermediary host, usually fleas although some go through dung beetles. Diplydium caninum CAN infect humans also but you can't get it directly from your dog: you'd have to eat a flea.
Routine dewormings are important but flea control is more important as far as tapeworms are concern.
Cow: Intermediate host to the larval stages of beef tapeworm (Taenia saginata)
A scolex is the head region of a tapeworm, containing hooks and suckers that allow it to attach to the host's intestinal wall. It is essential for the tapeworm's survival and reproduction within the host's body.
The head of a tapeworm. Point of attachement to the host organism.
During the life cycle of a beef tapeworm, a human becomes the primary host.
The tapeworm feeds off the host organism and hurts this body. This means the tapeworm benefits, but the host organism is hurt from the rlationship.
Flatworms are the simplest of the worm groups. There are about 20,000 species in this group. They are found many places and can be free living or parasitic. A parasite lives off of another living thing called a host and can be harmful. One of the best known flatworms is the tapeworm. The tapeworm can get into a person's digestive tract and grow to enormous lengths. The tapeworm then eats off the host and is dangerous to the host as it grows and consumes more of the host and its food. Flatworms are found in marine and fresh water.
The head of a tapeworm is called a scolex. The tapeworm attaches itself to the intestine of the host with hooks and suckers that are on the scolex.
The eggs of a tapeworm hatch in the intestine of the intermediate host, such as cattle or pigs. Once ingested by the intermediate host, the tapeworm larvae develop and migrate to different tissues where they form cysts.
parasite/host
Tapeworms can live in a host for 5-10 years.
To attach itself to the intestinal wall of its host.
The tapeworm is a type of worm that has a scolex, which is a specialized structure at its front end used for attaching to the intestine of its host.