What is the treatment for ascariasis?
What is the treatment for ascariasis?
Anthelmintic medications (drugs that remove parasitic worms from the body), such as albendazole and mebendazole, are the drugs of choice for treatment of Ascaris infections, regardless of the species of worm. Infections are generally treated for 1–3 days. The drugs are effective and appear to have few side effects.
Is Ascaris lumbricoides a virus?
A roundworm called Ascaris lumbricoides infects a person’s small intestine and acts as a parasite, getting nutrients from its host’s intestinal tract. Ascaris lumbricoides, along with whipworm and hookworm, is a type of parasite known as a soil-transmitted helminth (STH).
What’s the best way to treat an Ascaris infection?
Treatment. Anthelminthic medications (drugs that rid the body of parasitic worms), such as albendazole and mebendazole, are the drugs of choice for treatment of Ascaris infections, regardless of the species of worm. Infections are generally treated for 1-3 days. The drugs are effective and appear to have few side effects. More on: Resources…
What kind of disease does Ascaris lumbricoides cause?
Ascariasis is one of the tropical diseases caused by the parasite Ascaris lumbricoides, a large nematode (roundworm) that infects humans in the gastrointestinal tract and requires human infection to complete its complex life cycle. Another species, Ascaris suum, which infects pigs may occasionally infect humans. What is Ascaris lumbricoides?
What are the side effects of taking ascariasis medication?
Typically, only infections that cause symptoms need to be treated. In some cases, ascariasis will resolve on its own. Anti-parasite medications are the first line of treatment against ascariasis. The most common are: These medications, taken for one to three days, kill the adult worms. Side effects include mild abdominal pain or diarrhea.
Are there any effective anthelmintic treatments for ascariasis?
Fortunately, there are effective anthelmintic treatments available for ascariasis. Medications such as single-dose albendazole (Albenza) or mebendazole (Vermox) are drugs of choice for ascariasis. Health care providers administer the drugs for only about one to three days.