Ascariasis

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Definition

Ascariasis (as-kuh-RI-uh-sis) is a type of roundworm infection. Roundworms are parasites that use your body as a host to stay alive and reproduce, maturing from eggs to adult worms inside your body. Eggs of the ascaris roundworm are microscopic, but adult worms are the largest of the intestinal roundworms, reaching lengths up to 16 inches (41 centimeters).

Ascariasis is one of the most common roundworm infections in humans, infecting approximately 25 percent of the world's population. The highest rates of ascariasis infection occur in places in which sanitation and hygiene are poor. In the United States, ascariasis is most common in rural areas with warm climates.

Most of the time, ascariasis causes no symptoms, or only mild digestive problems. But when your body is infested with hundreds of worms, more serious symptoms and complications can occur.

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