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Nature Reviews. Disease Primers May 2020Trichuriasis and ascariasis are neglected tropical diseases caused by the gastrointestinal dwelling nematodes Trichuris trichiura (a whipworm) and Ascaris lumbricoides... (Review)
Review
Trichuriasis and ascariasis are neglected tropical diseases caused by the gastrointestinal dwelling nematodes Trichuris trichiura (a whipworm) and Ascaris lumbricoides (a roundworm), respectively. Both parasites are staggeringly prevalent, particularly in tropical and subtropical areas, and are associated with substantial morbidity. Infection is initiated by ingestion of infective eggs, which hatch in the intestine. Thereafter, T. trichiura larvae moult within intestinal epithelial cells, with adult worms embedded in a partially intracellular niche in the large intestine, whereas A. lumbricoides larvae penetrate the gut mucosa and migrate through the liver and lungs before returning to the lumen of the small intestine, where adult worms dwell. Both species elicit type 2 anti-parasite immunity. Diagnosis is typically based on clinical presentation (gastrointestinal symptoms and inflammation) and the detection of eggs or parasite DNA in the faeces. Prevention and treatment strategies rely on periodic mass drug administration (generally with albendazole or mebendazole) to at-risk populations and improvements in water, sanitation and hygiene. The effectiveness of drug treatment is very high for A. lumbricoides infections, whereas cure rates for T. trichiura infections are low. Novel anthelminthic drugs are needed, together with vaccine development and tools for diagnosis and assessment of parasite control in the field.
Topics: Animals; Ascariasis; Ascaris lumbricoides; Humans; Prevalence; Trichuriasis; Trichuris
PubMed: 32467581
DOI: 10.1038/s41572-020-0171-3 -
Recent Patents on Inflammation &... 2020Ascaris lumbricoides is the most common helminthic infection. More than 1.2 billion people have ascariasis worldwide. (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Ascaris lumbricoides is the most common helminthic infection. More than 1.2 billion people have ascariasis worldwide.
OBJECTIVE
This article aimed to provide an update on the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of ascariasis.
METHODS
A PubMed search was conducted in February 2020 in Clinical Queries using the key terms "ascariasis" OR "Ascaris lumbricoides". The search strategy included meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, clinical trials, observational studies, and reviews published within the past 10 years. The search was restricted to English literature. The information retrieved from the above search was used in the compilation of the present article. Patents were searched using the key term "ascariasis" OR "Ascaris lumbricoides" in www.freepatentsonline.com.
RESULTS
Ascaris lumbricoides is transmitted through the ingestion of embryonated eggs from fecal- contaminated material. Ascariasis has high endemicity in tropical and subtropical areas. Predisposing factors include poverty, poor sanitation, inadequate sewage disposal, and poor personal hygiene. The prevalence is greatest in children younger than 5 years of age. The majority of patients with intestinal ascariasis are asymptomatic. For those with symptoms, anorexia, nausea, bloating, abdominal discomfort, recurrent abdominal pain, abdominal distension, and intermittent diarrhea are not uncommon. Other clinical manifestations vary widely, depending on the underlying complications. Complications include Löeffler syndrome, intestinal obstruction, biliary colic, recurrent pyogenic cholangitis, cholecystitis, acalculous cholecystitis, obstructive jaundice, cholelithiasis, pancreatitis, and malnutrition. The diagnosis is best established by microscopic examination of fecal smears or following concentration techniques for the characteristic ova. Patients with A. lumbricoides infection warrant anthelminthic treatment, even if they are asymptomatic, to prevent complications from migration of the parasite. Albendazole and mebendazole are the drugs of choice for children and nonpregnant individuals with ascariasis. Pregnant women with ascariasis should be treated with pyrantel pamoate. Recent patents related to the management of ascariasis are also discussed.
CONCLUSION
The average cure rate with anthelminthic treatment is over 95%. Unfortunately, most treated patients in endemic areas become re-infected within months. Health education, personal hygiene, improved sanitary conditions, proper disposal of human excreta, and discontinuing the use of human fecal matter as a fertilizer are effective long-term preventive measures. Targeting deworming treatment and mass anthelminthic treatment should be considered in regions where A. lumbricoides is prevalent.
Topics: Animals; Anthelmintics; Ascariasis; Ascaris lumbricoides; Humans; Patents as Topic
PubMed: 32628606
DOI: 10.2174/1872213X14666200705235757 -
Current Biology : CB May 2020Wang and Davis provide an overview of the parasite nematode Ascaris, including the history of its role in biological research.
Wang and Davis provide an overview of the parasite nematode Ascaris, including the history of its role in biological research.
Topics: Animals; Ascariasis; Ascaris; Female; Humans; Male; Reproduction
PubMed: 32428467
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.02.064 -
Trends in Cell Biology Aug 2020Centrioles organize the microtubule network and mitotic spindle and, as basal bodies, nucleate cilia and flagella. They undergo a beguiling process in which one appears...
Centrioles organize the microtubule network and mitotic spindle and, as basal bodies, nucleate cilia and flagella. They undergo a beguiling process in which one appears to give rise to another and at a baffling orthogonal geometry. Nucleic acid-based replication has been pondered during cycles of zeniths and nadirs of plausibility, the latter now the state. Centrioles can also arise de novo, and thus the longstanding focus on centriole 'replication' may have led us astray from ground truth. We are in an era in which the assembly pathways of most intracellular machines are becoming understood in considerable detail. But apart from knowing the structure and parts list, little in our extant knowledge conveys how centrioles arise. Here the matters at hand are summarized, and a siren call is sounded.
Topics: Animals; Ascaris; Centrioles; Ferns; Humans; Nucleic Acids
PubMed: 32456848
DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2020.05.001 -
Ugeskrift For Laeger Jul 2023
Topics: Humans; Animals; Ascaris; Capsule Endoscopy
PubMed: 37539804
DOI: No ID Found -
Pediatric Clinics of North America Feb 2022Intestinal nematode infections caused by soil-transmitted helminths (STH), such as the roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides, the whipworm Trichuris trichiura, and the... (Review)
Review
Intestinal nematode infections caused by soil-transmitted helminths (STH), such as the roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides, the whipworm Trichuris trichiura, and the hookworms Ancylostoma duodenale, and Necator americanus, infect more than 1 billion people throughout the world. School-aged children tend to harbor the greatest numbers of intestinal worms, and as a result, experience more adverse health consequences, such as poor growth, anemia, and cognitive decline. Clinicians should maintain a high degree of suspicion in endemic areas when patients present with surgical abdomens, particularly children. Current antihelminthic drugs are moderately effective, but reinfection is possible. Global efforts are needed to eradicate STH infections.
Topics: Adolescent; Albendazole; Ancylostoma; Anemia; Animals; Anthelmintics; Ascariasis; Ascaris lumbricoides; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Helminthiasis; Hookworm Infections; Humans; Hygiene; Infant; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Male; Necator americanus; Nematode Infections; Soil; Trichuriasis; Trichuris
PubMed: 34794670
DOI: 10.1016/j.pcl.2021.08.005 -
Trends in Parasitology Mar 2021Ascariasis is a globally spread intestinal nematode infection of humans and a considerable concern in pig husbandry. Ascaris accomplishes a complex body migration from... (Review)
Review
Ascariasis is a globally spread intestinal nematode infection of humans and a considerable concern in pig husbandry. Ascaris accomplishes a complex body migration from the intestine via the liver and lung before returning to the intestine. Tissue migration and the habitat shared with a complex microbial community pose the question of how the nematode interacts with microbes and host cells from various tissues. This review addresses the current knowledge of the trilateral relationship between Ascaris, its microbial environment, and host cells, and discusses novel approaches targeting these interactions to combat this widespread infection of livestock and man.
Topics: Animals; Ascariasis; Ascaris; Environment; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Host-Parasite Interactions; Swine; Swine Diseases
PubMed: 33008723
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.09.002