This is the story of a 30 year old female patient who had recurrent abdominal pain for 3-4 months with no other obvious signs or symptoms. Her basic workup was normal. She underwent upper GI endoscopy. What is Ascariasis? Ascariasis is an infection of the human intestine caused by a worm or parasite called Ascaris lumbricoides (A. lumbricoides), which is a species of parasites called roundworms. Ascariasis is the commonest human parasitic intestinal infection. About 10% of the developing world which includes population of almost all of the south Asian countries, is infected with intestinal worms, according to the records of World Health Organization (WHO). Ascariasis is most common in places without modern sanitation. It’s transmitted through uncooked, or non-sterile/boiled food and water. What causes Ascariasis? You can become infected with ascariasis after ingesting the eggs of the A. lumbricoides roundworm by any mean. The eggs are usually found in soil contaminated by...
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