Ascaris lumbricoides, known as the large roundworm, is a common parasitic nematode that infects the small intestine of humans. It is transmitted through ingestion of Ascaris eggs from contaminated food, water, or soil. Ascariasis infections often do not cause symptoms, but heavy infections can result in intestinal blockage, malnutrition, and learning problems in children. Treatment involves administering antiparasitic medications such as albendazole or mebendazole. Improving access to sanitation and handwashing helps prevent the spread of ascariasis.
Ascaris lumbricoides, known as the large roundworm, is a common parasitic nematode that infects the small intestine of humans. It is transmitted through ingestion of Ascaris eggs from contaminated food, water, or soil. Ascariasis infections often do not cause symptoms, but heavy infections can result in intestinal blockage, malnutrition, and learning problems in children. Treatment involves administering antiparasitic medications such as albendazole or mebendazole. Improving access to sanitation and handwashing helps prevent the spread of ascariasis.
Ascaris lumbricoides, known as the large roundworm, is a common parasitic nematode that infects the small intestine of humans. It is transmitted through ingestion of Ascaris eggs from contaminated food, water, or soil. Ascariasis infections often do not cause symptoms, but heavy infections can result in intestinal blockage, malnutrition, and learning problems in children. Treatment involves administering antiparasitic medications such as albendazole or mebendazole. Improving access to sanitation and handwashing helps prevent the spread of ascariasis.
Ascaris lumbricoides, known as the large roundworm, is a common parasitic nematode that infects the small intestine of humans. It is transmitted through ingestion of Ascaris eggs from contaminated food, water, or soil. Ascariasis infections often do not cause symptoms, but heavy infections can result in intestinal blockage, malnutrition, and learning problems in children. Treatment involves administering antiparasitic medications such as albendazole or mebendazole. Improving access to sanitation and handwashing helps prevent the spread of ascariasis.
Ascaris lumbricoides is the “large roundworm” of humans,
growing to a length of up to 35cm. It is one of several species of Ascaris. An ascaris nematode of the phylum Nematoda, it is the most common parasitic worm in humans. Scientific Name : Ascaris lumbricoides Phylum : Nematoda Rank : Species Higher classification : pinworm Order : Ascaridida
Ascariasis is a disease caused by the parasitic roundworm
ascaris lumbricoides.Infections have no symptoms in more than 85% of cases, especially if the number of worms is small. Symptoms increase with the number of worms present and may include shortness of breath and fever in the beginning of the disease. These may include following symptoms of abdominal pain , diarrhoea. Children are most commonly affected , and in this age group the infection may also cause poor weight gain, malnutrition, and learning problems. Definition:
Infection occurs by eating or drink contaminated with
Ascaris eggs from feces. The eggs hatch in the intestine, burrow through the gut wall, and migrate to the lungs via the blood. Prevention is by improved sanitation, which includes improving access to toilets and proper disposal of feces. Handwashing with soap appears protective
Sign and Symptoms:
In populations where worm infections are widespread, it is
common to find that most people are infected by a small number of worms, while a small number of people heavily infected. This is characteristic of many types of worm infection. ● Migrating larvae. ● Intestinal blockage. ● Bowel obstruction. ● Allergies. ● Malnutrition. ● Abdominal swelling. ● Abdominal pain. ● Diarrhoea. ● Shortness of breath. ● Fever. ● Learning problems. ● Poor weight gain. ● Nausea. ● Vomiting. ● Irregular stools. ● Loss of appetite. ● Visible worms in stool. ● Fatigue.
Ascaris have an aversion to some general anesthetic and
may exit the body, sometimes through the mouth, when an infected individual is put under general anesthesia.
Causes:
You can become infected with ascariasis after accidentally
ingesting the eggs of the lumbricoides roundworm. The eggs can be found in soil contaminated by humans feces or uncooked food contaminated by soil that contains roundworm eggs. Children often become infected when they put their hands in their mouth after playing in contaminated soil, according to WHO. Ascariasis can also be passed directly from person to person.
● transmission .
Lifecycle: Mechanism: Ascaris takes most of its nutrients from the partially digested host food in the intestine. There is some evidence that it can secrete anti-enzymes, presumably to protect itself from digestion by the hosts’ enzymes. Children are often more severely affected.
Risk factor:
Environmental risk factors for ascariasis include:
❖Lack of modern hygiene and sanitation infrastructure.
❖Use of human feces for fertilizer. ❖Living in or visiting a tropical or subtropical climate. ❖Exposure to an environment where dirt might be ingested. ❖Always wash your hand with soap and water before eating or preparing food. ❖Boil or filter your water. ❖Inspect food preparation facilities. ❖Avoid unclean common areas for bathing. ❖Peel or cook unwashed vegetables and fruit in regions that lack sanitation infrastructure or that use human feces for fertilizer. Children who are 3 to 8 years old are most likely to be infected because of their contact with soil while playing.
Complication:
Most cases of ascariasis are mild and don’t cause major
problems. However , heavy infections can spreads to other parts of the body and lead to dangerous complications, including :
★Intestinal blockage- intestinal blockage occurs when a
mass of worms blocks your intestine, causing severe pain and vomiting. Intestinal blockage is considered a medical emergency and requires treatment right away.
★Duct blockage- duct blockage occurs when the
worms block the small passageways to your liver or pancreas.
★Nutritional deficiency- infection that leads to loss of
appetite and poor absorption of nutrients put children at risk of not getting enough nutrients, which can affect their growth. Pathogenesis:
❏Ulcerative/hemorrhagic lesions of the small/large
intestine have been reported but may be coincidental.
❏Adult worms can cause necrotic changes by blocking
the lumen of the appendix.
❏In adults 20% of young girls gravid female worms
migrate into the vagina/uterus and can evoke endometritis.
❏Peritoneal granulomas containing eggs are frequently
found in women.
How is ascariasis diagnosed?
Doctors generally make the diagnosis by examining a
stool sample for parasites and ova(eggs). If your doctor suspects you have ascariasis, he or she will ask for a stool sample from you. If you’re diagnosed with ascariasis, you may need more tests, such as one of these imaging test: ➢X-ray ➢CT scan ➢Ultrasound ➢MRI scan ➢Endoscopy
Imaging tests can show how many worms have grown to
maturity and where major groups of worms are inside the body. To evaluate your risk for complications, it’s important for your doctor to determine how long you’ve been infected.
Treatment Doctors usually treat roundworm with antiparasitic drugs. Medications most commonly used include: ➢Albendazole (albenza) ➢Ivermectin (stromectol) ➢Mebendazole (vermox) Prevention:
Prevention is by improved access to sanitation which
includes the use of properly functioning and clean toilets by all community members as one important aspect. Handwashing with soap may be protective ; however, there is no evidence it affects the severity of disease. Prognosis: The prognosis of ascariasis for appropriately diagnosed and treated ascariasis is very good. However , the prognosis begins to decline if the patient develops a high number of worms in the body(worm burden).
Epidemiology:
It is estimated that more than 1.4 billion people are
infected with lumbricoides, representing 25% of the world population. A number of features account for its high prevalence including the durability of eggs under a variety of environmental conditions, the high number of eggs produced per parasite, and poor socioeconomic condition that facilitate its spread.
Management: Medical Management:
★Pyrantel pamoate - Pyrantel pamoate(11mg/kg up to
a maximum of 1g) is administered as a single dose.
★Mebendazole - mebendazole(100mg BD for days or
500mg as a single dose). ★Albendazole - A single dose of albendazole:400 mg for 2years and above, 200mg for 12-24 months.
★Levamisole - levamisole(150mg for adults and 5mg/kg
for children).
★Manage other signs and symptoms as they present
. Nursing Management:
❖Check sign and symptoms of infection, incision,
drainage, change dressing, and provide antibiotics.
❖Maintain hydration and skin turgor.
❖Promote comfort and give the suitable position to the
patient.
❖Monitor vital signs and bowel sounds.
❖Monitor abdominal distention.
❖Maintain fluid diet and electrolyte balance in post operative care.
❖Patient education -Teach ostomy care if needed. -Teach how to perform irrigation. -Teach how to prevent skin breakdown. -Teach proper nutrition intake.
❖ Maintain NG tube patency.
Community management: Summary of ascariasis:
Ascariasis is a common infection in developing countries
that lack widespread, modern sanitation. A roundworm called Ascaris lumbricoides infects a person’s small intestine and acts as a parasite, getting nutrients from its host’s intestine tract. Bibliography:
