Ascariasis

Extract

• Ascaris lumbricoides is an intestinal roundworm that in the adult form is 15–40 cm long, 0.3–0.6 cm in diameter and cream-coloured.
• Ascariasis is worldwide in distribution and is very common in developing countries (estimated 1.2 milliard cases). Fatal cases are encountered mainly in developing countries only, yearly about 75 000.
• The inoculation occurs by ingestion of eggs that have ended up in the soil or e.g. in irrigation water through faeces. The eggs only become infectious in a couple of weeks after they have ended up in the soil so direct contact infection is very unlikely. The eggs remain infective in the soil for more than a year.
• The larvae hatch in the gastrointestinal tract and invade the bloodstream. They migrate through lungs to the pharynx from where they are again swallowed into the gut where the adult worms live for about two years.
• Roundworms that have animals as their definitive hosts may also infect humans. Roundworm of pigs (Ascaris suum) may cause a similar disease as Ascaris lumbricoides. The respective worms found in dogs and cats (Toxocara canis and T. cati) cause toxocariasis (visceral larva migrans disease) that manifests itself as abdominal pains and eosinophilia.

Read full article of Ascariasis

Search terms

Albendazole, Ascariasis, Ascaris lumbricoides, B77*, Child, Cholestasis, Gastroenterology, Infectious diseases, Internal medicine, Intestinal Obstruction, Mebendazole, Nematoda, Pregnancy, ascaris suum, ivermectin, piperazine citrate, pyrantel pamoate, toxocara cani, toxocara cati