With reinfection rates reaching 94 per cent after deworming treatment for
roundworm infection, a combined approach of mass drug administration and environmental controls (water, sanitation, hygiene) could be critical to gaining an upper hand on these endemic infections, the researchers concluded.
The reduction in
roundworm intensity is consistent with previous studies where dried seeds of pawpaw were used to eliminate intestinal parasites.
A single dose of de-worming medication is usually not adequate to eliminate
roundworms because most dewormers act on the adult worms in the intestines and do not catch the migrating larvae.
"By manipulating the hepatic ROS levels in the susceptible mouse strain we hope to determine the importance of the mitochondria and intrinsic ROS in conferring resistance to Ascaris." The lifecycle of the
roundworm in humans sees the infection progress from the stomach, following ingestion of viable eggs which hatch as larvae, to the liver before moving to the lungs and returning to the stomach.
Roundworm larvae can also be transferred to the nursing pup or kitten from the mother's milk.
Ascarids, more commonly known as
roundworms, are the most frequently detected parasite in dogs.
"This
roundworm can cause extremely serious disease conditions in humans.
suum infection, and all intestinal
roundworm larvae were damaged or destroyed," says Urban.
The best way to prevent
roundworm infection is by proper disposal of human waste (i.e., use of water-sealed or similar toilets).
At the meeting, Dr Philip Skuce and Dr Fi Kenyon from Edinburgh's Moredun Research Institute, will give an update on fluke and
roundworm research and highlight a few simple steps that will make worm strategies more effective and less likely to result in a resistant parasite problem on the farm.
The Tsimane are continually exposed to soil-dwelling parasitic worms called helminths, such as hookworm and
roundworm. They also frequently contract waterborne protozoan parasites such as Giardia lamblia.