ASCARIASIS
Ascariasis is a type of roundworm infection caused by the parasite Ascaris lumbricoide that infects human in the small intestine.
- Ascariasis is one of the most common worm infections all over the world.
- It is more prevalent is tropical or subtropical areas where there are poor and no modern sanitation.
- Most infections are mild but if left untreated, it can spread to another part of the body and lead to dangerous complications such as inflammation of the abdominal cavity lining, bowel obstruction, inflammation of the pancreas, inflammation of the gallbladder.
- What does the World Health Organization (WHO) have to say about ascariasis:
- WHO explains that eggs produced by the worm are found in soil contaminated with human faeces or uncooked food contaminated by soil that contains the egg.
- And that a person becomes infected after mistakenly swallowing the eggs.
- Children are more often infected than adults, the age group being 3-8 years
- Children are infected after playing with contaminated soil and putting hands in their mouth.
- Worldwide, severe Ascaris infection cause approximately 60,000 deaths especially in children.
- WHO reports that about 10% of the population of the developing world gets infected with an intestinal worm
CAUSES
People get the infection through the consumption of food that is contaminated with Ascaris lumricoide
Once consumed, swallowed egg hatches in the intestine and release larvae (immature roundworms)
Within few days, the larvae are transported through the bloodstream to your lungs
The worm migrates to the trachea where they are coughed up and swallowed.
The swallowed roundworms travel back to the small intestine where they mature into adult roundworms.
Adult roundworms in the small intestine will mate and produce more eggs
Some eggs are passed with faeces, other hatches and return to the lung where the cycle continues.
Some risk factors for developing infected are:
Living in or visiting tropical or subtropical areas where the climate is warm and moist
Poor sanitation and hygiene
Use of human faeces as fertilizer.
SIGN AND SYMPTOMS
Roundworms in your lung can cause:
A persistent cough
Fever
Shortness of breath
Chest discomfort
Roundworms in your small intestine can cause
Abdominal discomfort
Nausea
Vomiting
Visible worms in feces
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
Irregular stools or diarrhea
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
DIAGNOSIS
Most diagnosis is made by identifying an appearance of worm in feces. Fresh feces are examined on a glass side under a microscope. The eggs are oval and measure up to 35-50 in diameter and about 40-70 in length. If your doctor has confirmed that you have ascariasis, an imaging test may be carried out to check the number of worms that have grown to maturity and where major groups of the worm are present In your body. An imaging test such as endoscopy, MRI scans, CT scans, and X-rays.
TREATMENT
Antiparasitic medications are majorly used in treating roundworms. Such medication is used to neutralize roundworms and is known as ascaricides.
Those recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) are albendazole, mebendazole, levamisole and pyrantel pamoate.
Pyrantel pamoate is used in treating pregnant women
Corticosteroids can treat symptom such as inflammation.
If the worms are completely blocking your intestine, surgery may be recommended.