A person with Ascaris can pass on the eggs in feces. It can enter the body when people ingest the eggs on fruits or vegetables that have not been carefully washed, peeled, or cooked. It is uncommon in the U.S.Īscaris is similar to a hookworm but only a few inches long. AscarisĪscaris is one of the most common parasites globally, affecting up to 1.2 billion people around the world. A person will need two doses, one 2 weeks after the other. Prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications can remove pinworm. When symptoms do occur, a person may have itching around the anus, which can affect sleep. Many people with pinworm experience only mild symptoms. Showering is best, as this washes away any eggs down the drain. Washing regularly can help prevent pinworm infection or re-infection. Bathing with others can also allow the eggs to spread. They are relatively harmless and can live in the colon and rectum of humans.Ī person can pass the worms on to someone else through direct contact or by sharing a contaminated object with them, such as food, clothing, or bedding. PinwormĪ pinworm is a small, thin roundworm around the length of a staple. For many flukes, the drugs of choice are praziquantel. Treatment for flukes involves taking medications. If a person has symptoms, they may experience: Without treatment, infection can last for up to 25–30 years, which is the life span of these parasites. Most people with flukes will not have symptoms, but an infection that lasts a long time can lead to severe symptoms and complications. The larvae can enter the body if a person eats contaminated watercress or other water plants. Two types of liver fluke, Clonorchis and Opisthorchis, can enter the body when a person eats contaminated raw or undercooked:Īnother liver fluke, Fasciola, can occur anywhere there are sheep or cattle. Liver flukes affect the liver, gallbladder, and bile duct. They can affect the lungs, intestines, liver, and other parts of the body. Treatment for hookwormĭoctors may prescribe medications such as albendazole and mebendazole to treat hookworm, usually for 1–3 days. More serious complications include protein loss and anemia due to blood loss. Some individuals may have gastrointestinal symptoms, especially with a first-time infection. Most people with hookworm have no symptoms. In the past, hookworm was common in the southeastern U.S., but numbers have fallen due to improvements in living conditions. One type of hookworm can also enter the body if a person consumes the larvae in food or on the hands.Īccording to the CDC, hookworm affects around 576–740 million people worldwide. A person can pass them on through defecating outdoors, such as in bushes, or by using feces as fertilizer. Once inside, they find their way to the small intestine and lay eggs. Hookworms enter the body through the skin - for instance, if a person walks barefoot on contaminated soil. Their name refers to how one end of the body tapers off into a needle or hook shape. It then helps dissolve the worm so it can pass through the digestive system and leave the body during a bowel movement. This drug paralyzes the worm, forcing it to detach from the intestinal wall. Praziquantel (Biltricide) can remove a tapeworm. solium is responsible for up to 70% of epilepsy cases. In the brain, they can lead to:Įxperts believe that in areas where it occurs, T. solium larvae can cause cysts in the skin, eyes, muscles, and nervous system. solium tapeworms cause significant health problems. passing fragments of tapeworm in the stoolĪccording to the World Health Organization (WHO), though, only T.Most people with tapeworm have no symptoms, or only mild symptoms. Tapeworm eggs can also be present in water and may enter the body if a person consumes contaminated water. saginata: This type comes from undercooked beef or pork and occurs mainly in places where people eat raw beef, such as Eastern Europe, Russia, eastern Africa, and South America. asiatica: This type comes from beef or pork and mostly occurs in Korea, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Thailand. It is more common in South America, Eastern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, India, and Asia, but it also occurs in the U.S. solium): This type comes from raw or undercooked pork. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that fewer than 1,000 new cases of tapeworms occur each year in the U.S. Various types of intestinal worms can affect human health, such as: TapewormĪ tapeworm is a type of flatworm that lives in the intestine, where it attaches itself to the intestinal wall. Types of worms and how they enter the body

Pin worms in poop