Ascariasis is a parasitic an infection brought on by the roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides. It is likely one of the commonest parasitic infections in people, affecting an estimated 1.5 billion individuals worldwide. Ascariasis is mostly present in tropical and subtropical areas, the place sanitation is poor and individuals are in shut contact with soil contaminated with human feces.
Ascaris lumbricoides is a big roundworm that may develop to be as much as 35 centimeters in size. The grownup worms dwell within the small gut of the human host, the place they feed on partially digested meals. The eggs of Ascaris lumbricoides are handed within the feces of contaminated individuals. When the eggs are ingested by one other particular person, they hatch into larvae that migrate by means of the physique, finally reaching the lungs. The larvae then journey up the trachea and are swallowed, finally reaching the small gut the place they mature into grownup worms.
