Children who grew up in rural areas basically have this disease

Ascariasis is a common disease caused by Ascaris lumbricoides parasitizing the small intestine or other organs of the human body. Most of the patients with this disease are children. Most of the patients have no obvious clinical symptoms. Common clinical complications include biliary ascariasis, intestinal obstruction, cholangitis, cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, pancreatitis, liver abscess, appendicitis, intestinal perforation and peritonitis.

Ascaris infection is the most common in the world, with about 1/4 of the world's population infected with ascaris. It is mainly prevalent in temperate and tropical countries or regions with underdeveloped economies, warm and humid weather and poor sanitary conditions. Butterflies are prevalent in all provinces and regions of our country. The infection rate is higher in rural populations than in urban areas, and higher in children than in adults.

1. Source of infection: The feces of patients with ascariasis contain fertilized eggs, which is the source of ascariasis infection in the population.

2. In endemic areas, using human feces as fertilizer and defecating in public are the main ways for Ascaris eggs to contaminate the soil and ground. After ascaris eggs develop into infectious eggs in the outside world, they can infect humans through a variety of ways. People become infected by coming into contact with contaminated soil from the outside, such as farmland or courtyard floors, and by swallowing ascarid eggs attached to their fingers. Or a large number of people may be infected by eating foods such as sweet potatoes, carrots, pickles, etc. that contain roundworm eggs.

3. Population susceptibility: People are generally susceptible to ascaris. In terms of regional distribution, the infection rate of Ascaris lumbricoides in the population is higher in rural areas than in urban areas. In terms of age distribution, the infection rate among children is higher than that among adults, especially among school-age and preschool children. Multiple infections develop immunity as people age, which is one of the reasons why the infection rate in adults decreases. There is no significant difference between men and women.

4. Epidemic characteristics (1) Regional distribution of ascariasis is higher in rural areas than in urban areas. This is related to factors such as ground contamination by local feces and low sanitation levels. In areas where katydid infection is common, it is closely related to social factors such as the region's economic conditions, production methods, living standards, cultural level, and hygiene habits. Therefore, developing the economy, improving cultural level and cultivating good hygiene habits can reduce the infection rate of katydids. (2) Seasonality: The season when people are infected with katydids is related to the local climate, production and daily life activities. In temperate zones, Ascaris eggs stop developing in winter. When the temperature rises above 13°C in spring, the eggs begin to continue developing. In autumn, as the temperature drops, the development period of Ascaris eggs is prolonged, and they may even go into dormancy. It is generally believed that the incidence of eggs during the infection period is highest in July and August.

Clinical manifestations

1. During the larval migratory stage, when a small number of larvae migrate in the lungs, there may be no clinical manifestations. However, patients who eat raw vegetables or other contaminated foods containing large numbers of infectious Ascaris eggs in a short period of time may often develop Ascaris pneumonia, asthma, and eosinophilia[3]. The incubation period of this disease is generally 7 to 9 days, and systemic and pulmonary symptoms appear clinically.

2. Symptoms caused by adult worms In most cases, there are no symptoms. The most common symptom among patients is abdominal pain, which is located around the umbilicus and recurs at irregular intervals without being accompanied by abdominal muscle tension and tenderness. There are often loss of appetite, nausea, indigestion, irritability, urticaria, etc., sometimes diarrhea or constipation, and sudden paroxysmal pain around the umbilicus, which is not tender when pressed. There may also be diarrhea, constipation, etc. Child patients may sometimes develop neurological symptoms such as convulsions, night terrors, bruxism, pica, etc.

Disease treatment

1. Anthelmintic treatment with benzimidazole drugs: albendazole, the dosage is 400 mg, taken once. The drug can be repeated once 10 days after deworming.

2. Treatment of biliary ascariasis: If the condition permits, the combination of Chinese and Western medicine should be used first, including antispasmodics and analgesia, anthelmintics or endoscopic worm removal, and prevention and control of infection. If necessary, surgical removal of the worms is performed.

Disease prevention

1. Deworming: Expelling intestinal worms from people, including patients and carriers, is an important measure to control the source of infection.

2. Manage feces Manage feces, make feces harmless, build sanitary toilets, etc. 3. Carry out publicity and education on the harmfulness of ascariasis and its prevention and treatment knowledge. Pay attention to personal hygiene, wash your hands before and after meals, do not urinate or defecate anywhere, do not drink raw water, prevent ingestion of ascaris eggs, and reduce the chance of infection.