Ascaris lumbricoides
An adult female Ascaris worm.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Nematoda Class: Secernentea Order: Ascaridida Family: Ascarididae Genus: Ascaris Species: A. lumbricoides
Binomial name
Ascaris lumbricoides Linnaeus, 1758

Ascariasis is a human disease caused by the parasitic roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides. Perhaps as many as one quarter of the world's people are infected[1], and ascariasis is particularly prevalent in tropical regions and in areas of poor hygiene. Other species of the genus Ascaris are parasitic and can cause disease in domestic animals. An adult Ascaris worm. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... Animalia redirects here. ... Classes Adenophora    Subclass Enoplia    Subclass Chromadoria Secernentea    Subclass Rhabditia    Subclass Spiruria    Subclass Diplogasteria The roundworms (Phylum Nematoda) are one of the most common phyla of animals, with over 20,000 different described species. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... The order Ascardidida includes several families of parasitic roundworms with three lips on the anterior end. ... Species Ascaris lumbricoides Ascaris suum Ascaris is a genus of parasitic nematodes. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 23, 1707 – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[1] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) provides codes to classify diseases and a wide variety of signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances and external causes of injury or disease. ... The following codes are used with International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. ... // A00-A79 - Bacterial infections, and other intestinal infectious diseases, and STDs (A00-A09) Intestinal infectious diseases (A00) Cholera (A01) Typhoid and paratyphoid fevers (A010) Typhoid fever (A02) Other Salmonella infections (A03) Shigellosis (A04) Other bacterial intestinal infections (A040) Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli infection (A045) Campylobacter enteritis (A046) Enteritis due to Yersinia... The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) provides codes to classify diseases and a wide variety of signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances and external causes of injury or disease. ... The following is a list of codes for International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. ... The Diseases Database is a free website that provides information about the relationships between medical conditions, symptoms, and medications. ... Trinomial name Homo sapiens sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Humans, or human beings, are bipedal primates belonging to the mammalian species Homo sapiens (Latin: wise man or knowing man) under the family Hominidae (the great apes). ... A disease or medical condition is an abnormality of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, distress, or death to the person afflicted or those in contact with the person. ... A parasite is an organism that spends a significant portion of its life in or on the living tissue of a host organism and which causes harm to the host without immediately killing it. ... Classes Adenophorea    Subclass Enoplia    Subclass Chromadoria Secernentea    Subclass Rhabditia    Subclass Spiruria    Subclass Diplogasteria The roundworms or nematodes (Phylum Nematoda from Gr. ... The tropics are the geographic region of the Earth centered on the equator and limited in latitude by the two tropics: the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. ... Hygiene is commonly understood as preventing infection through cleanliness. ... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ... For other uses of the word, please see Genus (disambiguation). ... Species Ascaris lumbricoides Ascaris suum Ascaris is a genus of parasitic nematodes. ... This is a list of animals that have been domesticated by humans. ...

Infection occurs through ingestion of food contaminated with fecal matter containing Ascaris eggs. The larvae hatch, burrow through the intestine, reach the lungs, and finally migrate up the respiratory tract. From there they are then reswallowed and mature in the intestine, growing up to 30 cm (12 in.) in length and anchoring themselves to the intestinal wall. An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. ... Feces, faeces, or fæces (see spelling differences) is waste product from an animals digestive tract expelled through the anus (or cloaca) during defecation. ... In most birds and reptiles, an egg (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. ... Larvae are the plural of larva, juvenile form of animals with indirect development. ... In anatomy, the intestine is the portion of the alimentary canal extending from the stomach to the anus and, in humans and other mammals, consists of two segments, the small intestine and the large intestine (or colon). ... The heart and lungs (from an older edition of Grays Anatomy) The lung is an organ belonging to the respiratory system and interfacing to the circulatory system of air-breathing vertebrates. ... In humans the respiratory tract is the part of the anatomy that has to do with the process of respiration or breathing. ... The metre, or meter (U.S.), is a measure of length. ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ...

Infections are usually asymptomatic, especially if the number of worms is small. They may however be accompanied by inflammation, fever, and diarrhea, and serious problems may develop if the worms migrate to other parts of the body. Inflammation is the first response of the immune system to infection or irritation and may be referred to as the innate cascade. ... An analogue medical thermometer showing the temperature of 38. ... Types 5-7 on the Bristol Stool Chart are often associated with diarrhea Diarrhea (in American English) or diarrhoea (in British English) is a generally unpleasant condition in which the sufferer has frequent watery, loose bowel movements (from the ancient Greek word διαρροή = leakage; literally meaning to run through). Acute infectious...

Prevalence

Roughly 1.5 billion individuals are infected with this worm^[2]. Ascariasis is endemic in the United States including Gulf Coast and Ozark Mountains ^{[citation needed]}; in Nigeria and in Southeast Asia. One study indicated that the prevalence of ascariasis in the United States at about 4 million (2%) ^{[citation needed]}. In a survey of a rural Nova Scotia community, 28.1% of 431 individuals tested were positive for Ascaris, all of them being under age 20, while all 276 tested in metropolitan Halifax were negative^[3]. The Gulf of Mexico is a major body of water bordered and nearly landlocked by North America. ... This article is about the Ozark Plateau. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Motto: Munit Haec et Altera Vincit (Latin: One defends and the other conquers) Official languages none (English, French, Gaelic) Flower Mayflower Tree Red Spruce Bird Osprey Capital Halifax Largest city Halifax Lieutenant-Governor Mayann E. Francis Premier Rodney MacDonald (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 11 10 Area Total... Motto: Template:Unhide = E Mari Merces (Wealth from the Sea) Logo: Location City Information Established: April 1, 1996 Area: (former city) 79. ...

Deposition of ova (eggs) in sewage hints at the degree of ascariasis incidence. A 1978 study showed about 75% of all sewage sludge samples sampled in United States urban catchments contained Ascaris ova, with rates as high as 5 to 100 eggs per litre ^{[citation needed]}. In Frankfort, Indiana, 87.5% of the sludge samples were positive with Ascaris, Toxocara, Trichuris, and hookworm ^{[citation needed]}. In Macon, Georgia, one of the 13 soil samples tested positive for Ascaris ^{[citation needed]}. Municipal wastewater in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia detected over 100 eggs per litre of wastewater ^[4] and in Czechoslovakia was as high as 240-1050 eggs per litre ^[5]. A human ovum Sperm cells attempting to fertilize an ovum An ovum (plural ova) is a haploid female reproductive cell or gamete. ... Sewage is the liquid water produced by human society which typically contains washing water, laundry waste, faeces, urine and other liquid or semi-liquid wastes. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... SLUDGE (Scripting Language for Unhindered Development of a Gaming Environment) is a shareware adventure game engine developed by Hungry Software. ... Frankfort is the name of several places: Frankfort, Illinois Frankfort, Indiana Frankfort, Kentucky Frankfort, Michigan Village of Frankfort, New York Town of Frankfort, New York Frankfort, Ohio Frankfort, Wisconsin Frankfort, South Africa Today, Frankfurt, the name of two cities in Germany, is known as that in English. ... Official language(s) English Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Area  Ranked 38th  - Total 36,418 sq mi (94,321 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 270 miles (435 km)  - % water 1. ... Toxocaridae is a family of parasitic nematodes that infect canids and felids and which can cause visceral larval migrans in humans. ... Trichinosis, also called trichinellosis, or trichiniasis, is a parasitic disease caused by eating raw or undercooked pork and wild game products infected with the larvae of a species of roundworm Trichinella spiralis, commonly called the trichina worm. ... Species Species Necator americanus The hookworm is a parasitic worm (nematode) that lives in the small intestine of its host, which may be a mammal such as a dog, cat, or human. ... Macon is the name of several places in the United States of America and of one in France and a small town in Belgium: Macon, Belgium Mâcon, France Macon, Georgia, United States of America Macon, Mississippi, United States of America Macon, Missouri, United States of America Macon, North Carolina... Riyadh (Arabic: ‎ ar-Riyāḍ) is the capital of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, located in Ar Riyad Province in the Najd region. ...

Ascariasis sources can often be measured by examining food for ova. In one field study in Marrakech, Morocco, where raw sewage is used to fertilize crop fields, Ascaris eggs were detected at the rate of 0.18 eggs/kg in potatoes, 0.27 eggs/kg in turnip, 4.63 eggs/kg in mint, 0.7 eggs/kg in carrots, and 1.64 eggs/kg in radish^[6]. A similar study in the same area showed that 73% of children working on these farms were infected with helminths, particularly Ascaris, probably as a result of exposure to the raw sewage. Marrakech location Panoramic picture of the Djemaa el Fna square by sunset. ... A worm is an elongated soft-bodied invertebrate animal. ...

Life cycle

Adult worms (1) live in the lumen of the small intestine. A female may produce approximately 200,000 eggs per day, which are passed with the feces (2). Unfertilized eggs may be ingested but are not infective. Fertile eggs embryonate and become infective after 18 days to several weeks (3), depending on the environmental conditions (optimum: moist, warm, shaded soil). After infective eggs are swallowed (4), the larvae hatch (5), invade the intestinal mucosa, and are carried via the portal, then systemic circulation to the lungs . The larvae mature further in the lungs (6) (10 to 14 days), penetrate the alveolar walls, ascend the bronchial tree to the throat, and are swallowed (7). Upon reaching the small intestine, they develop into adult worms (8). Between 2 and 3 months are required from ingestion of the infective eggs to oviposition by the adult female. Adult worms can live 1 to 2 years.

First appearance of eggs in stools is 60-70 days. In larval ascariasis, symptoms occur 4-16 days after infection. The final symptoms are gastrointestinal discomfort, colic and vomiting, fever; observation of live worms in stools. Some patients may have pulmonary symptoms or neurological disorders during migration of the larvae. However there are generally few or no symptoms. A bolus of worms may obstruct the intestine; migrating larvae may cause pneumonitis and eosinophilia. Adult worms 1 live in the lumen of the small intestine. ... Eosinophilia is the state of having high eosinophil granulocytes in the blood. ...

Reservoir/source

The source is direct transmission from humans by direct (skin) contact, and through soil and vegetation on which fecal matter containing eggs has been deposited. Ingestion of infective eggs from soil contaminated with human feces or transmission and contaminated vegetables and water is the primary route of infection. Intimate contact with pets which have been in contact with contaminated soil may result in infection, while pets which are infested themselves by a different type of roundworm can cause infection with that type of worm (Toxocara canis, etc) as occasionally occurs with groomers.

Transmission also comes through municipal recycling of wastewater into crop fields. This is quite common in emerging industrial economies, and poses serious risks for not only local crop sales but also exports of contaminated vegetables. A 1986 outbreak of ascariasis in Italy was traced to irresponsible wastewater recycling used to grow Balkan vegetable exports. ...

Diagnosis

The diagnosis is usually incidental when the host passes a worm in the stool or vomit. Stool samples for ova and parasites will demonstrate Ascaris eggs. Larvae may be found in gastric or respiratory secretions in pulmonary disease. Blood counts may demonstrate peripheral eosinophilia. On X-ray, 15-35 cm long filling defects, sometimes with whirled appearance (bolus of worms). Eosinophilia is the state of having high eosinophil granulocytes in the blood. ... In the NATO phonetic alphabet, X-ray represents the letter X. An X-ray picture (radiograph) taken by Röntgen An X-ray is a form of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength approximately in the range of 5 pm to 10 nanometers (corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 PHz...

Symptoms

Patients can remain asymptomatic for very long periods of time. As larval stages travel through the body, they may cause visceral damage, peritonitis and inflammation, enlargement of the liver or spleen, toxicity, and pneumonia. A heavy worm infestation may cause nutritional deficiency; other complications, sometimes fatal, include obstruction of the bowel by a bolus of worms (observed particularly in children) and obstruction of the bile or pancreatic duct. More than 796 Ascaris lumbricoides worms weighing 550 g [19 ounces] were recovered at autopsy from a 2-year-old South African girl. The worms had caused torsion and gangrene of the ileum, which was interpreted as the cause of death^[7]. Inflammation is the first response of the immune system to infection or irritation and may be referred to as the innate cascade. ... The liver is an organ in some animals, including mammals (and therefore humans), birds, and reptiles. ... The spleen is a ductless, vertebrate gland that is closely associated with the circulatory system, where it functions in the destruction of old red blood cells in holding a reservoir of blood. ... Pneumonia is an illness of the lungs and respiratory system in which the alveoli (microscopic air-filled sacs of the lung responsible for absorbing oxygen from the atmosphere) become inflamed and flooded with fluid. ... Bile (or gall) is a bitter, greenish-yellow alkaline fluid secreted by hepatocytes from the liver of most vertebrates. ... The pancreas is an organ in the digestive and endocrine system that serves two major functions: exocrine (producing pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes) and endocrine (producing several important hormones, including insulin). ... BIC pen cap, about 1 gram. ... Grays Fig. ...

Ascaris takes most of its nutrients from the partially digested host food in the intestine. There is limited evidence that it can also pierce the intestinal mucous membrane and feed on blood, but this is not its usual source of nutrition.[8] As a result, Ascaris infection does not produce the anemia associated with some other roundworm infections. In anatomy, the intestine is the portion of the alimentary canal extending from the stomach to the anus and, in humans and other mammals, consists of two segments, the small intestine and the large intestine (or colon). ... Anemia (AmE) or anaemia (BrE), from the Greek () meaning without blood, refers to a deficiency of red blood cells (RBCs) and/or hemoglobin. ... Classes Adenophorea    Subclass Enoplia    Subclass Chromadoria Secernentea    Subclass Rhabditia    Subclass Spiruria    Subclass Diplogasteria The roundworms or nematodes (Phylum Nematoda from Gr. ...

Treatment

Native Americans have traditionally used epazote (Chenopodium ambrisioides) for treatment, which was not as powerful as pharmaceutical compounds, but spontaneous passage of Ascarids provided some proof of efficacy ^{[citation needed]}. A Hupa man. ... Binomial name Chenopodium ambrosioides L. Epazote or Mexican Tea (Chenopodium ambrosioides) is a herb native to Central America and southern Mexico. ...

Some recent studies exist in the medical literature suggesting that sun-dried papaya and watermelon seeds may reduce infections by a large factor. The adult dosage is one tablespoon of the seed powder in a glass of sugar water once a week for two weeks. The sugar makes the bitter taste palatable and acts as a laxative ^{[citation needed]}. Binomial name Carica papaya L. The papaya, also known as mamão, tree melon, fruta bomba, lechosa (Venezuela and the Dominican Republic), or pawpaw is the fruit of the tree Carica papaya, in the genus Carica. ... Magnification of typical sugar showing monoclinic hemihedral crystalline structure. ... A laxative is a preparation used for encouraging defecation, or the expulsion of feces. ...

Pharmaceutical treatments include:

• Mebendazole (Vermox) (C₁₆H₁₃N₃O₂). Causes slow immobilization and death of the worms by selectively and irreversibly blocking uptake of glucose and other nutrients in susceptible adult intestine where helminths dwell. Oral dosage is 100 mg 12 hourly for 3 days.
• Piperazine (C₄H₁₀N₂.C₆H₁₀O₄). A flaccid paralyzing agent that causes a blocking response of ascaris muscle to acetylcholine. The narcotizing effect immobilizes the worm, which prevents migration when treatment is accomplished with weak drugs such as thiabendazole. If used by itself it causes the worm to be passed out in the feces. Dosage is 75 mg/kg (max 3.5 g) as a single oral dose.
• Pyrantel pamoate (Antiminth, Pin-Rid, Pin-X) (C₁₁H₁₄N₂S.C₂₃H₁₆O₆) Depolarizes ganglionic block of nicotinic neuromuscular transmission, resulting in spastic paralysis of the worm. Spastic (tetanic) paralyzing agents, in particular pyrantel pamoate, may induce complete intestinal obstruction in a heavy worm load. Dosage is 11 mg/kg not to exceed 1 g as a single dose.
• Albendazole (C₁₂H₁₅N₃O₂S) A broad-spectrum antihelminthic agent that decreases ATP production in the worm, causing energy depletion, immobilization, and finally death. Dosage is 400 mg given as single oral dose (contraindicated during pregnancy and children under 2 years).
• Thiabendazole. This may cause migration of the worm into the esophagus, so it is usually combined with piperazine.

Also, corticosteroids can treat some of the symptoms, such as inflammation. erlo Mebendazole (brand name Ovex®, Vermox® or Pripsen®) is a drug used to combat pinworms, roundworms and hookworms. ... The milligram (symbol mg) is an SI unit of mass. ... Basic piperazine structure Piperazine is a six-sided organic ring compound containing two opposing nitrogen atoms (see image). ... Albendazole marketed as Albenza or Zentel, is indicated for the treatment of a variety of work infestations. ... Adenosine 5-triphosphate (ATP) is a multifunctional nucleotide that is most important as a molecular currency of intracellular energy transfer. ... Thiabendazole is a fungicide and parasiticide used primarily to control mold, blight, and other fungally caused diseases in fruits and vegetables. ... The esophagus (also spelled oesophagus/œsophagus, Greek ), or gullet is an organ in vertebrates which consists of a muscular tube through which food passes from the mouth area to the stomach. ... In physiology, corticosteroids are a class of steroid hormones that are produced in the adrenal cortex. ...

Prevention

Prevention includes; use of toilet facilities; safe excreta disposal; protection of food from dirt and soil; thorough washing of produce; hand washing; and common-sense sanitary measures. Toilet found in a Boeing 747 aircraft A toilet is a plumbing fixture and disposal system primarily intended for the disposal of the bodily wastes: urine, fecal matter and vomit. ...

Food dropped on the floor should never be eaten without washing or cooking, particularly in endemic areas. Vegetables originating from third-world countries should always be washed thoroughly before consumption. ate joyce

Animal models for Ascaris infestation

There are two animal models for studying Ascaris infection:

• Mouse-Ascaris suum test model. (Howes HL Jr. J Parasitol. 1971 Jun; 57(3): 487-93.)
• Ascaris suum in experimentally infected pigs. (Lichtensteiger CA et al; 1999)

ate daren Binomial name Ascaris suum (Goeze, 1782) Ascaris suum is a parasitic nematode that causes Ascariasis in pigs. ...

Trivia

• Ascariasis may result in allergies to shrimp and dustmites due to the shared antigen, tropomyosin.
• Worm infestation, including ascaris lumbricoides, may provide some protection against developing asthma.
• Ascaris have an aversion to some general anesthetics and may exit the body, sometimes through the mouth. [9]

This article deals specifically with IgE-mediated hypersensitivity. ... Superfamilies Alpheoidea Atyoidea Bresilioidea Campylonotoidea Crangonoidea Galatheacaridoidea Nematocarcinoidea Oplophoroidea Palaemonoidea Pandaloidea Pasiphaeoidea Procaridoidea Processoidea Psalidopodoidea Stylodactyloidea True shrimp are small, swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. ... Binomial name Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus The house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus), sometimes abbreviated by allergists to HDM, is a cosmopolitan guest in human habitation. ... An antigen is a substance that stimulates an immune response, especially the production of antibodies. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

References

1. ↑  How much human helminthiasis is there in the world?, 1999. D. Crompton, J of Parasitology 85(3): 397-403.
2. ↑  Prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides infection in a small Nova Scotian community, 1984. J. Embil, L. Pereira, F. White, J. Garner, F. Manuel, Am J Trop Med Hyg, 33, 595-8.
3. ↑  Risk of contamination of human and agricultural environment with parasites through reuse of treated municipal wastewater in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1992. A. Bolbol. J Hyg Epidemiol Microbiol Immunol, 36, 330-7.
4. ↑  Helminth eggs in the sludge from three sewage treatment plants in Czechoslovakia, 1992. Horak. Folia Parasitol, 39, 153-7.
5. ↑  Helminthic infections associated with the use of raw wastewater for agricultural purposes in Beni Mellal, Morocco, 1999. K. Habbari, A. Tifnouti, G. Bitton and A. Mandil, Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, Volume 5, Issue 5, 1999, Page 912-921
6. ↑  Fatal human ascariasis following secondary massive infection, 1986. Baird JK, Mistrey M, Pimsler M, Connor DH. Am J Trop Med Hyg 1986 Mar;35(2):314-8, PMID 3953945, UI: 86156463
7. ↑  Ascariasis and sewage in Europe, 1986. Pawlowski ZS, Schultzberg K., in: Block JC, ed. Epidemiological studies of risks associated with agricultural use of sewage sludge: knowledge and needs. London, Elsevier, 1986:83-93.

See also

• Tapeworm infection
• Toxocariasis

Adult tapeworm infection is the infection of the digestive tract by parasitic flatworms called cestodes or tapeworms. ... Toxocariasis is a parasitic infection with the dog or cat roundworm, Toxocara canis or Toxocara cati, respectively. ...

External links

• Ascaris lumbricoides and Ascaris suum, from Ohio State University's Parasites and Parasitological Resources
• Video of removal of Ascari lumbricoides with an endoscope
• Images (warning, very graphic): [10], [11]