lumbricoides

Lumbricoides refers to the human parasitic roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides, the largest intestinal nematode and a major cause of ascariasis in many developing regions. Transmitted by ingestion of eggs present in contaminated food or water, infection is linked with poor sanitation, crowding, and limited access to clean water.

Anatomy and lifecycle: Adults live in the small intestine; females can reach up to 35 cm, males smaller. Eggs excreted in feces become infective after embryonation in soil. Humans acquire infection by ingesting these eggs; larvae hatch in the intestine, migrate via the liver and lungs, are coughed up and swallowed, and mature into adults in the intestine. Adults can persist for years.

Clinical features and disease: Most infections are asymptomatic. Heavy infections can cause abdominal pain, distension, nausea, vomiting, and malnutrition. In children, intestinal obstruction is possible. Migration to the biliary or pancreatic ducts or lungs can cause obstructive disease or Loeffler’s syndrome, with cough and eosinophilia.

Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention: Diagnosis relies on stool examination for eggs; occasionally visualization of adult worms. Albendazole or mebendazole is standard treatment; alternatives include pyrantel pamoate, with ivermectin used in some settings. Prevention focuses on improved sanitation, safe water and food hygiene, handwashing, and deworming programs in endemic areas.