• Print ISSN: 0976-948X
  • Online ISSN: 3048-5738
  • NAAS Rating: 3.35
Ascariasis: An Important Soil Transmitted Helminthiasis of Public Health Significance
Volume 11| Issue 1 | June 2025
AUTHOR(S)
Mahendra Pal, Tesfaye Rebuma, Mulunesh Desalegn, Surajit Baidya

ABSTRACT

Ascariasis, caused by the helminth Ascaris lumbricoides, remains one of the most widespread soil-transmitted helminth infections globally, predominantly affecting impoverished communities in tropical and subtropical regions. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the epidemiology, life cycle, environmental resilience, and public health implications of Ascaris lumbricoides. It highlights the critical role of inadequate sanitation, poor hygiene practices, and environmental contamination in sustaining transmission cycles. Advances in diagnostic tools, including molecular methods, have improved detection accuracy, yet challenges such as potential anthelmintic resistance underscore the need for integrated control strategies. Sustainable management requires a multifaceted approach combining with mass drug administration (MDA), improved water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health education, and environmental interventions, respectively. Cross-sectoral collaboration and innovative monitoring are vital for effective control, aiming toward the global goal of eliminating ascariasis as a public health problem by 2030. Addressing these challenges through coordinated efforts will significantly reduce disease burden and improve quality of life in vulnerable populations.

Bethony J, Brooker S, Albonico M, Geiger SM, Loukas A, Diemert D, Hotez PJ. Soil-transmitted helminth infections: ascariasis, trichuriasis, and hookworm. The Lancet. 2006; 367(9521): 1521-32.
Bogoch II, Raso G, Utzinger J. Soil-transmitted helminth infections: the diagnostic challenge. Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases. 2020; 33(5): 366–71.
Brooker S, Clements AC, Bundy DA. Global epidemiology, ecology and control of soil-transmitted helminth infections. Advances in Parasitology. 2006; 62: 221-61.
Brooker S, Michael E. The potential of geographical information systems and remote sensing in the epidemiology and control of human helminth infections. Advances in Parasitology. 2000; 47: 245-88.
Campbell SJ, Biritwum NK, Woods G, et al. Tailoring integrated deworming programs: Combining health education and MDA for maximum impact. Parasitology. 2018; 145(2): 181–8.
Campbell SJ, Nery SV, McCarthy JS, Gray DJ, Soares Magalhães RJ. A call for integrated control of soil-transmitted helminths and sustainable WASH interventions. The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 2022; 22(5): e120–5.
CDC. DPDx Ascariasis. 2019. https://www.cdc.gov/dpdx/ ascariasis/index.html. Accessed: May 8, 2020.
CDC. CDC 2022- soil-transmitted helminths. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/sth/index.html (Accessed March 30, 2023).
Dold C, Holland CV. Ascaris and ascariasis. Microbes and Infection. 2011; 13(7): 632-7.
Dutto M, Petrosillo N. Hybrid Ascaris suum/lumbricoides (ascarididae) infestation in a pig farmer: a rare case of zoonotic ascariasis. Central European Journal of Public Health. 2013; 21(4): 224-6.
Easton AV, Oliveira RG, Walker M, O’Connell EM, Njenga SM, Anderson RM. Advances in molecular diagnostic tools for soil-transmitted helminths. Trends in Parasitology. 2021; 37(7): 614–27.
Freeman MC, Ogden S, Jacobson J, et al. Integration of WASH and deworming programs for effective control of STHs. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2021; 105(2): 261–4.
Gyorkos TW, Maheu-Giroux M, Blouin B, Casapia M. Impact of soil-transmitted helminth infections on child development and educational outcomes. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 2021; 15(3): e0009125.
Hadush A, Pal M. Ascariasis: public health importance and its status in Ethiopia. Air Water Borne Diseases. 2016; 5(1): 126.
Jourdan PM, Lamberton PH, Fenwick A, Addiss DG. Soil-transmitted helminth infections. The Lancet. 2018; 391(10117): 252-65.
Kanneganti K, Makker JS, Remy P. Ascaris lumbricoides: to expect the unexpected during a routine colonoscopy. Case Reports in Medicine. 2013; 2013(1): 1-4.
Krücken J, Greif G, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G. Potential anthelmintic resistance in Ascaris and the need for drug resistance monitoring. International Journal for Parasitology. Drugs and Drug Resistance. 2021; 15: 30–7.
Mekonnen Z, Legesse M, Belay M, Tadesse G, Petros, B. Evaluation of qPCR for diagnosis of STH infections in low-intensity transmission settings. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 2022; 106(2): 380–7.
Miller LA, Colby K, Manning SE, Hoenig D, McEvoy E, Montgomery S, Mathison B, de Almeida M, Bishop H, Dasilva A, Sears S. Ascariasis in humans and pigs on small-scale farms, Maine, USA, 2010–2013. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2015; 21(2): 332-4.
Moser W, Schindler C, Keiser J. Preventive chemotherapy and the control of soil-transmitted helminthiasis. The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 2021; 21(4): e133–9.
Mutombo PN, Man NW, Nejsum P, Ricketson R, Gordon CA, Robertson G, Clements AC, Chacón-Fonseca N, Nissapatorn V, Webster JP, McLaws ML. Diagnosis and drug resistance of human soil-transmitted helminth infections: A public health perspective. Advances in Parasitology. 2019; 104: 247-326.
Nejsum P, Betson M, Bendall RP, Thamsborg SM, Stothard JR. Ascaris suum: A zoonosis in humans? Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases. 2012; 25(5): 499–505.
Pal M. Zoonoses. 2nd Edition Satyam Publishers Jaipur India. 2007.
Pal M. Parasitic Zoonoses. Ph.D. Lecture Notes, Addis Ababa University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia, 2014; 1-34.
Pullan RL, Halliday KE, Oswald WE, Mcharo, C, Brooker, SJ. Evaluating the sustainability of helminth control: A geospatial perspective. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 2022; 16(2): e0010149.
Silva N, Liu J, Clements AC. Progress and challenges in developing point-of-care diagnostics for neglected tropical diseases. Diagnostics. 2023; 13(2): 320-9.
Soulsby EJ. Helminths, Arthropods and Protozoa of Domesticated Animals. 7th Edition Bailliere Tindall-An Imprint of Elsvier Elsvier Publications. 2005.
Strunz EC, Addiss DG, Stocks ME, Ogden S, Utzinger J, Freeman MC. Water, sanitation, hygiene, and soil-transmitted helminth infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS Medicine. 2014; 11(3): e1001620.
Tefera E, Alemu A, Getaneh A. Evaluation of serological tests for diagnosis of ascariasis: limitations and prospects. Journal of Parasitic Diseases. 2019; 43(2): 201–7.
Udayakumar N, Jayakumar S. Imaging features of complicated ascariasis: A pictorial review. Journal of Clinical Imaging Science, 2020; 10, 13-20.
Weatherhead JE, Hotez PJ, Mejia R. The global state of helminth control and elimination in children. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 2017; 64(4): 867-77.
WHO. World Health Organization. Soil-transmitted helminth infections. 2023. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/soil-transmitted-helminth-infections.
WHO. Progress report on the roadmap for neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030. 2023. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240074859.
Woodhall D, Jones JL, Cantey PT, Wilkins PP, Montgomery SP. Neglected parasitic infections: what every family physician needs to know. American Family Physician. 2014; 89(10): 803-11.
Zhou C, Li M, Yuan K, Deng S, Peng W. Pig Ascaris: an important source of human ascariasis in China. Infection Genetics and Evolution. 2012; 12(6): 1172-77.
Ziegelbauer K, Speich B, Mäusezahl D et al. Sustained WASH access reduces reinfection rates of soil-transmitted helminths: A global analysis. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 2022; 16(6): e0010443.
Zuccherato LW, Cools P, Verweij JJ et al. Monitoring drug efficacy and resistance in helminths: Advances in molecular diagnostics. Parasites and Vectors. 2021; 14: 99-105.

DOI
https://www.doi.org/10.62418/ijvph.11.1.2025.1-6
DOWNLOAD
How to cite this article:
Corresponding author’s email ID: palmahendra2@gmail.com
Citation: Pal M, Rebuma T, Desalegn M, Baidya S. Ascariasis: An Important Soil Transmitted Helminthiasis of Public Health Significance. Indian Journal of Veterinary Public Health. 2025; 11(1): 1-6.
DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.62418/ijvph.11.1.2025.1-6