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ascariasis
(as″kә-riŽә-sis)
infection by the nematode Ascaris lumbricoides, seen in temperate and tropical regions of the world, including southern mountain regions of the United States. It is associated
with poor sanitation such as when human feces is used as fertilizer on food crops. When vegetables are eaten without having
been properly washed or cooked, larvae may be carried into the digestive system, from which they migrate to various other parts of the body. Ascariasis may go unsuspected until a worm is passed in the
feces, but sometimes there is colic or other abdominal symptoms, or “wandering worms” may emerge through the skin of the abdomen.
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