An ascaris is a type of roundworm that can cause a parasitic infection in humans and other animals. The infections often remain mild and can go undetected. In fact, about a quarter of the world's population has an ascaris infection, known as ascariasis, the Mayo Clinic reports. What the ascaris worm eats depends on whether it lives in the environment or in an animal host.
Ascaris Nutrition
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classifies ascaris worms as soil-transmitted parasites. When found in the environment, they feast on microbes and tiny organisms found in the soil. Humans can ingest the worm larvae because of poor hygiene and sanitation. The worms also are prevalent in areas where human feces is used as fertilizer and can be found in undercooked or improperly prepared foods. Once inside the human body, they live in the intestines, where they obtain nourishment from the digested food that travels through the digestive system.
Symptoms of Infection
When you have an ascaris infection, you are providing the worms with their nutrition. Most cases of ascariasis are mild, with with many producing no noticeable symptoms. Children often experience more serious cases when the infection is severe, the University of Maryland Medical Center reports. Symptoms include passing worms in the stool; worms exiting via the nose and mouth; vomiting worms; a cough, sometimes producing bloody sputum; wheezing; shortness of breath; skin rashes; a low-grade fever; and stomach pain.
Risk Factors
Ascaris infections occur all over the world, but they are most prevalent in areas with most and tropical climates, the CDC reports. In particular, people who live in areas where sanitation standards are subpar or where fertilizers include human excrement develop ascariasis more often. Children also become infected more frequently, especially those 10 and younger. This likely results from the tendency of children to play in dirt and not wash their hands properly, the Mayo Clinic suggests.
Treatment
Many people who have ascariasis recover completely without treatment, and in many cases without the infection ever being detected. When infections become severe or are detected, patients typically get treated with drugs designed to paralyze or kill parasites, the University of Maryland Medical Center reports. In extreme cases, the worms can cause intestinal blockages, and these patients may need surgery to correct the condition. However, complications like that remain rare.
