Back to Main Food Poisoning Page

Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris

What is it?

Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura are roundworms that infect humans worldwide through their eggs.

How can an individual be infected

These eggs can be carried to the mouth by hands and foods. The eggs for these worms are often found in badly treated sewage and fertilizer. The eggs then can contaminate crops grown in contaminated soil or fertilizer. Humans are then infected when the eat this produce raw.

What disease is caused by this organism?

The scientific names for these infections are Ascariasis or "Large roundworm infection" and Trichuriasis or "whip worm infection".

What is the course of the disease and what are its symptoms?

When an individual is infected whit Ascaris sp. it may be inapparent unless the person notices it passed in the feces or crawls up the throat when trying to exit through the mouth or the nose. It could result in pneumonitis. Trichuris sp. larvae molt and mature inside the intestine and cause symptoms such as digestive tract distress to dry skin and diarrhea. These infections may require surgical removal in extremely severe cases.

How is the disease diagnosed?

Both types of infections are diagnosed when eggs are found in a patients feces.

What is the frequency of the disease and who is the target population?

Ascariasis is common in America and trichuriasis is common in Europe. The target population for this disease are consumers of uncooked vegetables and fruits grown by soil that is fertilized with sewage

What we can do to help

Contact us at our website: http://www.milavetzlaw.com/

Back to Main Food Poisoning Page

Links for more info

http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodborneIllness/FoodborneIllnessFoodbornePathogensNaturalToxins/BadBugBook/ucm070828.htm

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?id=36086

Link for recent updates