ASCARIASIS (ROUNDWORM)

End7 at UT

WHAT IS ASCARIASIS? Ascariasis, also known as roundworm, is an intestinal

infection caused by the parasitic worm Ascaris lumbricoides, and is part of a family of parasites known as the soil-transmitted helminthes.

Ascariasis is the most common human worm infection. More than 1 billion people worldwide are infected with ascariasis, and more than 60,000 die from the disease annually.

WHERE IS ASCARIASIS? Ascariasis is most prevalent in:

Sub-tropical climates Sub-Saharan Africa Southeast Asia Areas of poverty, with poor sanitation or where

crops are irrigated with improperly treated wastewater

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

HOW IS IT TRANSMITTED?

Parasitic eggs are ingested and hatch into larvae, which travel through the body and can cause pulmonary symptoms such as coughing and wheezing. Once the larvae settle in the small intestine, they feed on food from the human host and can live for up to two years.

Human waste fertilizer Improper wastewater crop irrigation

ROUNDWORM LIFECYCLE

SYMPTOMS OF ASCARIASIS

Worms in stool Coughing, sometimes accompanied by

coughing up of worms Wheezing Fever & vomiting Loss of appetite Shortness of breath

SYMPTOMS OF ASCARIASIS CONTINUED

Swelling of the abdomen & severe abdominal pain

Malnutrition, anemia and impaired physical growth, particularly in children

Intestinal blockage or bowel obstruction (in severe cases)

Pneumonia (in rare cases)

TREATMENT Anti-helminthic drugs albendazole (Albenza) or

mebendazole (Vermox) on an annual basis 200 million tablets of mebendazole donated per year

by Johnson & Johnson until 2020 1 billion tablets of Albendazole donated per year from

GlaxoSmithKline. Additional need available for $US 0.02 per pill

In some cases, surgery may be required to repair intestinal blockages or bowel obstruction

Currently no vaccine exists for ascariasis

ASCARIASIS AND EDUCATION

500 million children are infected with NTDs. That’s over 10x the number of kids who go to school in the US!

Poverty = NTDs = No School = Future Uneducated Adults = Poverty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grZWPOGUG9U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz4A5CCam80&list=UU3aEP9uUm8p_cYWvXgHAixQ

DISCUSSION

How do we end this vicious cycle? Poverty = NTDs = No School = Future Uneducated Adults

= Poverty

How do we get kids back in school?