This book tackles a number of different perspectives concerning the parasitic helminth Ascaris, both in animals and in humans and the disease known as ascariasis. It seeks to identify interesting, exciting and novel aspects, which will interest readers from a broad range of disciplines.Over a quarter of the world's population are infected with the human roundworm, and the equivalent in pigs is equally ubiquitous. Both contribute to insidious and chronic nutritional morbidity, and this has been quantified, in humans, as disability adjusted life years approximating 10.5 million. Ascaris larvae develop in host parenteral tissues, and the resultant pathology has been condemnation. Ascariasis, despite its staggering global prevalence and the sheer numbers of people it infects, remains a classic neglected disease. However, renewed interest in the consequences of early infection with worms from the perspective of immune modulation, co-infections and the development of allergy further enhances the relevance of these parasites. - Brings together a wide range of topics and approaches and recent, comprehensive and progressive research concerning the neglected parasite Ascaris - Provides a blueprint of how a single parasite entity can stimulate interest in basic biology, clinical science, veterinary science, public health and epidemiology - Presents a wealth of new insights given that a book on this parasite has not been published for over 20 years - 16 chapters from a range of top authors from around the world

The revised and updated second edition of Water and Sanitation Related Diseases and the Changing Environment offers an interdisciplinary guide to the conditions responsible for water and sanitation related diseases. The authors discuss the pathogens, vectors, and their biology, morbidity and mortality that result from a lack of safe water and sanitation. The text also explores the distribution of these diseases and the conditions that must be met to reduce or eradicate them. The text includes contributions from authorities from the fields of climate change, epidemiology, environmental health, environmental engineering, global health, medicine, medical anthropology, nutrition, population, and public health. Covers the causes of individual diseases with basic information about the diseases and data on the distribution, prevalence, and incidence as well as interconnected factors such as environmental factors. The authors cover access to and maintenance of clean water, and guidelines for the safe use of wastewater, excreta, and grey water, plus examples of solutions. Written for students, and professionals in infectious disease, public health and medicine, chemical and environmental engineering, and international affairs, the second edition of Water and Sanitation Related Diseases and the Changing Environment isa comprehensive resource to the conditions responsible for water and sanitation related diseases.

Parasitic infections remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the world today. Often endemic in developing countries many parasitic diseases are neglected in terms of research funding and much remains to be understood about parasites and the interactions they have with the immune system. This book examines current knowledge about immune responses to parasitic infections affecting humans, including interactions that occur during co-infections, and how immune responses may be manipulated to develop therapeutic interventions against parasitic infection. For easy reference, the most commonly studied parasites are examined in individual chapters written by investigators at the forefront of their field. An overview of the immune system, as well as introductions to protozoan and helminth parasites, is included to guide background reading. A historical perspective of the field of immunoparasitology acknowledges the contributions of investigators who have been instrumental in developing this field of research.

Ascariasis is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) affecting 763 million people worldwide, with nutritional and developmental consequences of chronic childhood infection and severe clinical disease occurring in heavy infections. Reliably estimating the extent of the problem of Ascaris lumbricoides and ascariasis is difficult because of inaccuracies in parasitological diagnosis, the non-specificity of clinical signs, and a paucity of reliable and accurate data. As a consequence, estimating the global distribution and disease burden has been based on informed approximations, using the best available information. This chapter provides an overview of past and current estimates of the global population at risk of and infected with A. lumbricoides. The regional and global burden of ascariasis is estimated by extrapolation from data on the prevalence of infection and a series of epidemiological methods. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study uses disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) to measure disease burden, based on an assessment of premature mortality and years lived with disability. The data and methods used to estimate the disease burden of ascariasis in the 1990 GBD study and the 2010 study are compared. Globally, intestinal nematodes are estimated to contribute 5.184 million DALYs in 2010, with ascariasis contributing 1.3148 million, trichuriasis 0.6382 million, and hookworm 3.2311 million. The 2010 study provides estimates for both 1990 and 2010, and these findings indicated that the burden of ascariasis in 2010 is much lower than in 1990, where ascariasis contributed 4.2173 billion DALYs. The use of DALYs to estimate the burden of ascariasis is not without its limitations, however, and fails to capture the broader societal impact of ascariasis and other NTDs or that they disapportionally affect the poorest populations.

Experiences from Japan and Korea demonstrated that when a country is developing economically, the periodic administration of anthelmintic (preventive chemotherapy) drastically reduces soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) and these advances are then maintained by increasing sanitation standards; both countries eliminated the morbidity due to STH in less than a decade. The situation is more complex in countries with slow economic development in which preventive chemotherapy should be maintained over a longer period of time in order to reduce morbidity due to STH. Preventive chemotherapy is characterized by population-based diagnosis, population-based treatment, and implementation at regular intervals. WHO recommends regular monitoring of the implementation of this strategy in order to obtain maximal benefit for the target populations. In 2010, preventive chemotherapy for the control of STH reached over 33% of the population in need of treatment and rapid expansion of the coverage is expected in 2012–2015 as a consequence of the drug donation provided by the original producers. WHO is monitoring this trend and facilitating the process providing direct support to member states, facilitating the drug donation and developing guiding material and strategic plans.

Roundworms are the most prevalent parasite of swine in the world today. Their presence on a pig farm can have detrimental effects on farm profitability due to their impact on growth rate, feed conversion, and general health of the produced pigs. For farmers, it is therefore essential to be aware of the “worm status” of their herd in order to make informed decisions on how to control this disease on their farm. This chapter concentrates on the diverse aspects involved in the diagnosis and control of Ascaris suum infections on pig farms. It focuses on how the results obtained from different detection methods should be interpreted and what efforts could be made to control parasite transmission and consequentially reduce the prevalence and economic impact of this parasite on a pig farm.

A set of nine A-4 color plates with 118 photomicrographs illustrating the appearance and diagnostic features of all the common intestinal helminths and protozoan parasites known to infect humans. Produced in a robust plasticized format, the plates can be used as either a guide for laboratory and field workers in endemic countries, or a teaching aid for students and trainees. The aim is to help the microscopist ascertain the presence of parasites in feces, whether they be minute protozoan cysts or large helminth eggs, and to identify them correctly. With this goal in mind, the bench aids include pertinent laboratory instructions as well as high-quality images. The photomicrographs illustrate diagnostic features of each of the parasites as they appear in different preparations and at different magnifications. Each photomicrograph is produced with a measuring bar and accompanied by a short explanatory legend, which draws attention to distinctive features that help confirm diagnosis. Helminth eggs are illustrated in the first 36 photomicrographs, which show the diagnostic stages of the most common helminthes, including nematodes, cestodes, schistosomes, and other trematodes. The remaining photomicrographs offer advice on the more difficult task of detecting and identifying intestinal protozoan trophozoites and cysts. Relevant laboratory techniques are described on the reverse side of the plates. Additional laboratory aids include dichotomous keys for the identification of amoebic trophozoites trophozoites of intestinal flagellates, and cysts of amoebae and flagellates.