Ascariasis: Parasitic Infection Caused By The Human Roundworm

I was browsing through articles about the latest news on certain parasitic infections and I came across an article about a 3 year old boy who had strange abdominal problems.  The article was from last December and stated that the boy had an infection from the intestinal parasite ascaris lumbricoides.  This helminth (roundworm) causes an infection called ascariasis and affects the small intestine.  This infection is common throughout the world and worth mentioning.  This can help everyone be cautious when traveling to places where this infection may be prevalent.


General Description:
Ascariasis is a helminth parasitic infection that affects the intestines.  This infection is found around the globe, specifically in areas with warm climate, poor sanitation, and high concentration of pigs.  The reason contact with high concentrations of pigs poses a chance of infection is because pigs have a similar species of roundworm that affects them and can infect humans.  Ascariasis is acquired by ingesting soil contaminated with worm eggs.  Normally, no symptoms are experienced unless the worms grows very large and cause blockages.  This infection can be treated with anti-helminth medication effectively.

Locations:
This infection is found in areas with warm climates and poor sanitation such as Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa.  Typically, people who work with pigs or live in areas with high concentration of pigs are at risk of acquiring the infection.  Cases in the United States are rare compared to other countries in the world.

Infection Method:
The eggs of this roundworm are expelled through the feces of a contaminated organism and deposited in the soil.  A person then can ingest the parasite eggs if they ingest some of the contaminated soil.  The eggs hatch in the small intestine and begin to grow.  They spend time in the small intestine and lungs, and return to the small intestine to reproduce and lay more eggs.  The eggs are expelled through the feces and the cycle begins again.

Ascaris lifescycle.

Symptoms:
Most people express no symptoms, but as the parasites grow symptoms may begin to appear.  Symptoms that appear if the parasites are in the intestines include:

• nausea
• vomitting
• diarrhea 
• weight loss
• intestinal blockages

Symptoms that appear if the parasites are in the lungs include:

• coughing
• wheezing
• blood in mucus
• fever

Intestinal and duct blockages are the most serious complications that can emerge from this infection.  The parasites can prevent flow in your intestines and can cause serious pain and discomfort.  This infection can also be very severe for children because their intestines are small and blockages can happen easier than with adults.

Ascaris being removed from the bile duct.

Treatment:

Ascariasis is most commonly diagnosed by examining the stool for eggs or parasites.  Once diagnosed, the infection can be treated easily by taking anti-helminth medication such as albendazole and mebendazole.  Treatment usually lasts for three days and no sides are experienced.

Final Thoughts:

Although very easy to cure, this infection is something to watch out for.  In the United States it may not be a problem, but poor sanitation is a huge issue in developing countries.  If you plan to travel to an area similar to the characteristics listed above, wash your hand regularly and take sanitary precautions when handling soil.  Also, if you have a baby, do not let the baby put his/her hands in his/her mouth if playing in soil.  It is probably difficult to prevent a baby from putting objects in the mouth but just be cautious.

I hope you enjoyed this update to the list of interesting infections!  Leave a comment or suggestion!

References:

https://www.healthline.com/health/ascariasis#diagnosis

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/ascariasis/

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMicm1703094