Clinical Manifestations. Adult
Intestinal nematodes can cause some GI problems (eg, abdominal pain, diarrhea, anorexia, weight loss, malaise). Hookworms can cause serious anemia. Onchocerciasis can result in blindness (river blindness). Trichinosis can cause life-threatening manifestations, including myocarditis, CNS involvement, and pneumonitis.
The treatment of choice for intestinal nematodes, with the exception of Strongyloides, is albendazole or mebendazole. Single-dose or short-course regimens with these oral agents (albendazole 400mg once or mebendazole 500mg once, or 100mg BID for 3 days) cure more than 90% of Ascaris infections.
Filariasis. A parasitic condition known as filariasis is brought on by an infection with roundworms of the Filarioidea species (Wuchereria bacrofti).
Nematodes parasitic on humans include ascaris, filarial nematodes, hookworms, pinworms, and whipworms. Species include Ancylostoma duodenale, Necator americanus, Trichinella spiralis, Wuchereria bancrofti, Onchocerca volvulus, etc. They can attack the muscles, alimentary canal, eyes, and other body tissues.
E. vermicularis, commonly referred to as the pinworm or seatworm, is a nematode, or roundworm, with the largest geographic range of any helminth. It is the most prevalent nematode in the United States. Humans are the only known host, and about 209 million persons worldwide are infected.
Laboratory studies are as follows: Stool examination for intestinal nematodes using native, zinc sulfate flotation, or formalin-ethyl acetate sedimentation techniques (based on characteristics of eggs or larvae in stool or adult worm, if passed; cellophane-tape impression for pinworms)
General symptoms from nematodes include yellowing, stunting, and wilting, accompanied by a yield decline. In the case of SCN, signs of infection are white-to-pale-yellow female bodies present in roots that can be seen with the naked eye (Figure 1).
Approximately 800 million people worldwide are infected with one or more species of skin-penetrating nematodes.
Itching may occur where larvae enter skin (“ground itch”). Pneumonitis, cough, dyspnea and hemoptysis may mark the migration of larvae through the lungs. Depending on the adult worm load, intestinal infection can cause anorexia, fever, diarrhea, weight loss, and anemia.
Anisakiasis, or herring worm disease, is a parasitic disease caused by nematodes (worms) that attach to the wall of the esophagus, stomach, or intestine. The best ways to prevent this disease is to avoid eating raw or undercooked fish or squid.
Diarrhea. Nausea or vomiting. Gas or bloating. Dysentery (loose stools containing blood and mucus)
Damage. Root-knot nematodes do not produce any specific above-ground symptoms. Affected plants have an unthrifty appearance and often show symptoms of stunting, wilting or chlorosis (yellowing). Symptoms are particularly severe when plants are infected soon after planting.
The vast majority of nematodes are completely harmless. Many even play an essential role in the environment, such as free-living nematodes that make nutrients available for plants. However, harmful nematodes like hookworm are downright destructive.
Symptoms may include diarrhoea, tiredness and weakness, abdominal pain and weight loss. Some worms cause anaemia.
Definition Infections with intestinal nematodes, also known as soil-transmitted helminths, are caused by intestinal parasites: ascariasis (Ascaris lumbricoides), trichuriasis (Trichuris trichiura), and hookworm disease (Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus).
The three most common STH infections are ascariasis (caused by the roundworm, Ascaris lumbricoides), trichuriasis (caused by the whipworm, Trichuris trichiura), and hookworm infections (ancylostomiasis, caused by Ancylostoma duodenale, and necatoriasis, caused by Necator americanus).
Roundworms enter the body when ingested as worm eggs that soon hatch into larvae. These larvae travel through the liver, lungs, and other organs. In most cases, these “wandering worms” cause no symptoms or obvious damage.
Common parasite symptoms may include: Diarrhea. Nausea and vomiting. Abdominal pain.
This diet may include avoiding greasy, processed foods and eating natural, whole foods. Some parasite cleansing diets ask the person to avoid specific types of foods, such as gluten, dairy, or pork. Diets may also include the use of anti-inflammatory herbs and spices, such as garlic, turmeric, and ginger.
The most reliable practices are preventive, including sanitation and choice of plant varieties. You can reduce existing infestations through fallowing, crop rotation, and soil solarization. However, these methods reduce nematodes primarily in the top foot or so of the soil, so they are effective only for about a year.
Most patients with nematode infections can be treated using mebendazole or pyrantel. A special group of nematodes can be considered separately: the filaria. Patients with filariasis are treated using two other drugs. ALBENDAZOLE and MEBENDAZOLE inhibit tubulin polymerization in the worms.
Nematodes are microscopic, wormlike creatures which inhabit the soil and damage the roots of plants, impairing their ability to take up water and nutrients. Symptoms of this damage include stunting, yellowing of plant leaves, and loss of plant vitality.