Ascaris lumbricoides
Ascaris lumbricoides is a large roundworm 25 to 35 cm
long that causes ascariasis. People become infected by ingesting food
or water contaminated with Ascaris eggs. Once in the intestines, the
eggs hatch, and larvae penetrate the intestinal wall and enter lymph
vessels and venules. Although the larvae can invade and cause immunological
reactions in almost any tissue, most move through the respiratory tract
to the pharynx and are swallowed. Larvae move to the small intestine,
mature and begin to produce eggs. Eggs are especially resistant to acids.
They also resist drying and people can be infected by airborne eggs.
In some parts of the USA where the soil never freezes, 20 to 60% of
children are affected.
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Ascaris worms cause three kinds of damage:
- larvae burrowing through lung tissue cause Ascaris pneumonitis (type of pneumonia), which involves haemorrhage, oedema and blockage of alveoli from worms, dead white blood cells and tissue debris. If secondary bacterial pneumonia develops, it can be fatal
- adult worms cause malnutrition, but because they feed mainly on the content of the intestine they do little damage to the mucosa. They also release toxic wastes that elicit allergic reactions. If sufficiently numerous they cause intestinal blockage and sometimes perforation. The peritonitis which follows perforation is nearly always fatal
- wandering worms cause abscesses in the liver and other organs and sometimes traumatize victims by crawling from body opening such as mouth.
Diagnosis is made by finding eggs or worms in the faeces. Infection is fully preventable by good sanitation and personal hygiene.
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