Ascariasis

The disease and how it affects people

Ascariasis is an inIection oI the small intestine caused by Ascaris lumbricoides, a large
roundworm. The eggs oI the worm are Iound in soil contaminated by human Iaeces or in
uncooked Iood contaminated by soil containing eggs oI the worm. A person becomes inIected
aIter accidentally swallowing the eggs. The eggs hatch into larvae within the person's intestine.
The larvae penetrate the intestine wall and reach the lungs through the blood stream. They
eventually get back to the throat and are swallowed. In the intestines, the larvae develop into
adult worms. The Iemale adult worm which can grow to over 30cm in length, lays eggs that are
then passed into the Iaeces. II soil is polluted with human or animal Iaeces containing eggs the
cycle begins again. Eggs develop in the soil and become inIective aIter 2-3 weeks, but can
remain inIective Ior several months or years.
Children are inIected more oIten than adults, the most common age group being 3-8 years. The
inIection is likely to be more serious iI nutrition is poor. They oIten become inIected aIter
putting their hands to their mouths aIter playing in contaminated soil. Eating uncooked Iood
grown in contaminated soil or irrigated with inadequately treated wastewater is another Irequent
avenue oI inIection.
The Iirst sign may be the passage oI a live worm, usually in the Iaeces. In a severe inIection,
intestinal blockage may cause abdominal pain, particularly in children. People may also
experience cough, wheezing and diIIiculty in breathing, or Iever.
Distribution
Ascariasis is Iound worldwide. InIection occurs with greatest Irequency in tropical and
subtropical regions, and in any areas with inadequate sanitation.
Scope of the Problem
Ascariasis is one oI the most common human parasitic inIections. Up to 10 oI the population
oI the developing world is inIected with intestinal worms a large percentage oI which is caused
by Ascaris. Worldwide, severe Ascaris inIections cause approximately 60,000 deaths per year,
mainly in children.
Interventions
Health education providing the Iollowing messages reduces the number oI inIected people:
O avoid contact with soil that may be contaminated with human Iaeces;
O wash hands with soap and water beIore handling Iood;
O wash, peel or cook all raw vegetables and Iruits;
O protect Iood Irom soil and wash or reheat any Iood that Ialls on the Iloor.
The availability oI water Ior use in personal hygiene as well as proper disposal oI human Iaeces
will also reduce the number oI cases. Where wastewater is used Ior irrigation waste stabilization
ponds and some other technologies are eIIective in decreasing transmission due to Iood grown in
contaminated soil.
InIected individuals (and domestic animals) should be treated with medicine to reduce disease
transmission. Ascariasis can be eIIectively treated with mebendazole or pyrantel pamoate.
Written Ior World Water Day2001. Reviewed by staII and experts Irom the cluster on
Communicable Diseases (CDS) and Water, Sanitation and Health unit (WSH), World Health
Organization (WHO).
WHO/WSH/WWD/DFS.01
hLLp//wwwwholnL/waLer_sanlLaLlon_healLh/dlseases/ascarlasls/en/

Ascarlasls
enyaklL dan bagalmana hal lLu mempengaruhl orangorang

Ascarlasls merupakan lnfeksl darl usus kecll yang dlsebabkan oleh Ascarls lumbrlcoldes yalLu [enls caclng
gelang 1elurLelur caclng yang dlLemukan dl dalam Lanah LerkonLamlnasl oleh koLoran manusla aLau
makanan menLah yang LerkonLamlnasl oleh Lanah yang mengandung Lelur caclng Seseorang men[adl
Lerlnfeksl seLelah Lldak senga[a menelan Lelur 1elurLelur meneLas men[adl larva dl dalam usus
seseorang Larva menembus dlndlng usus dan mencapal paruparu melalul allran darah Mereka
akhlrnya kemball ke Lenggorokan dan LerLelan ualam usus larva berkembang men[adl caclng dewasa
Caclng beLlna dewasa yang dapaL Lumbuh hlngga 30cm leblh pan[ang meleLakkan Lelur yang kemudlan
dllewaLkan ke dalam Lln[a !lka Lanah yang Lercemar dengan koLoran manusla aLau hewan yang
mengandung Lelur slklus dlmulal lagl 1elur berkembang dl Lanah dan men[adl lnfekLlf seLelah 23
mlnggu LeLapl dapaL LeLap lnfekLlf selama beberapa bulan aLau Lahun

Anakanak leblh serlng Lerlnfeksl darlpada orang dewasa kelompok usla yang pallng umum adalah 38
Lahun lnfeksl lnl cenderung leblh serlus blla glzl buruk Mereka serlng men[adl Lerlnfeksl seLelah
meleLakkan Langan mereka ke muluL mereka seLelah bermaln dl Lanah yang LerkonLamlnasl Makan
makanan menLah Lumbuh dl Lanah yang LerkonLamlnasl aLau dlalrl dengan alr llmbah Lldak dlobaLl
adalah [alan laln serlng lnfeksl

1anda perLama mungkln baglan darl caclng hldup blasanya dalam Lln[a ada lnfeksl beraL
penyumbaLan usus dapaL menyebabkan saklL peruL LeruLama pada anak Crang [uga mungkln
mengalaml baLuk mengl dan kesullLan bernafas aLau demam
ulsLrlbusl

Ascarlasls dlLemukan dl seluruh dunla lnfeksl Ler[adl dengan frekuensl Lerbesar dl daerah Lropls dan
subLropls dan dalam seLlap daerah dengan sanlLasl yang Lldak memadal
8uang Llngkup Masalah

Ascarlasls merupakan salah saLu lnfeksl yang pallng umum paraslL manusla Sampal dengan 10 darl
penduduk negara berkembang Lerlnfeksl caclng usus persenLase besar yang dlsebabkan oleh Ascarls
Seluruh dunla lnfeksl Ascarls parah menyebabkan seklLar 60000 kemaLlan per Lahun LeruLama pada
anakanak
lnLervensl

endldlkan kesehaLan memberlkan pesan berlkuL mengurangl [umlah orang yang Lerlnfeksl

menghlndarl konLak dengan Lanah yang mungkln LerkonLamlnasl dengan koLoran manusla
mencucl Langan dengan sabun dan alr sebelum menanganl makanan
mencucl mengupas aLau memasak semua sayuran menLah dan buahbuahan
mellndungl makanan darl Lanah dan mencucl aLau panaskan kemball makanan yang [aLuh dl lanLal

keLersedlaan alr unLuk dlgunakan dalam keberslhan prlbadl serLa pembuangan koLoran manusla [uga
akan mengurangl [umlah kasus ulmana alr llmbah yang dlgunakan unLuk kolam sLablllsasl llmbah lrlgasl
dan beberapa Leknologl lalnnya yang efekLlf dalam mengurangl Lransmlsl karena makanan Lumbuh dl
Lanah yang LerkonLamlnasl

lndlvldu yang Lerlnfeksl (dan hewan domesLlk) harus dlobaLl dengan obaL unLuk mengurangl penularan
penyaklL Ascarlasls dapaL secara efekLlf dlobaLl dengan mebendazole aLau pyranLel pamoaLe

ulLulls Alr uunla uay2001 ululas oleh sLaf dan ahll darl clusLer LenLang enyaklL Menular (CuS) dan unlL
Alr SanlLasl dan kesehaLan (WSP) Crganlsasl kesehaLan uunla (WPC)

WPC/WSP/WWu/ulS01