A SCARIASIS (R OUNDWORM ) End7 at UT

W HAT IS A SCARIASIS ? Ascariasis, also known as roundworm, is an intestinal infection caused by the parasitic worm Ascaris lumbricoides, and is part of a family of parasites known as the soil-transmitted helminthes. Ascariasis is the most common human worm infection. More than 1 billion people worldwide are infected with ascariasis, and more than 60,000 die from the disease annually.

W HERE IS A SCARIASIS ? Ascariasis is most prevalent in: Sub-tropical climates Sub-Saharan Africa Southeast Asia Areas of poverty, with poor sanitation or where crops are irrigated with improperly treated wastewater

S UB -S AHARAN A FRICA

H OW IS IT T RANSMITTED ? Parasitic eggs are ingested and hatch into larvae, which travel through the body and can cause pulmonary symptoms such as coughing and wheezing. Once the larvae settle in the small intestine, they feed on food from the human host and can live for up to two years. Human waste fertilizer Improper wastewater crop irrigation

R OUNDWORM L IFECYCLE

S YMPTOMS OF A SCARIASIS Worms in stool Coughing, sometimes accompanied by coughing up of worms Wheezing Fever & vomiting Loss of appetite Shortness of breath

S YMPTOMS OF A SCARIASIS C ONTINUED Swelling of the abdomen & severe abdominal pain Malnutrition, anemia and impaired physical growth, particularly in children Intestinal blockage or bowel obstruction (in severe cases) Pneumonia (in rare cases)

T REATMENT Anti-helminthic drugs albendazole (Albenza) or mebendazole (Vermox) on an annual basis 200 million tablets of mebendazole donated per year by Johnson & Johnson until billion tablets of Albendazole donated per year from GlaxoSmithKline. Additional need available for $US 0.02 per pill In some cases, surgery may be required to repair intestinal blockages or bowel obstruction Currently no vaccine exists for ascariasis

A SCARIASIS AND E DUCATION 500 million children are infected with NTDs. That’s over 10x the number of kids who go to school in the US! Poverty = NTDs = No School = Future Uneducated Adults = Poverty 9U 0&list=UU3aEP9uUm8p_cYWvXgHAixQ

D ISCUSSION How do we end this vicious cycle? Poverty = NTDs = No School = Future Uneducated Adults = Poverty How do we get kids back in school?