Ascarididae

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Ascarididae
Toxocara cati 2 beentree.jpg
Toxocara cati
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Nematoda
Class: Chromadorea
Order: Ascaridida
Family: Ascarididae
Baird, 1853

The Ascarididae are a family of the large intestinal roundworms. Members of the family are intestinal parasites, infecting all classes of vertebrates. [1] [2] It includes a number of genera, [3] the most well known of which are:

Ascaris lumbricoides is the main ascarid parasite of humans, causing ascariasis.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parasitism</span> Relationship between species where one organism lives on or in another organism, causing it harm

Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson characterised parasites as "predators that eat prey in units of less than one". Parasites include single-celled protozoans such as the agents of malaria, sleeping sickness, and amoebic dysentery; animals such as hookworms, lice, mosquitoes, and vampire bats; fungi such as honey fungus and the agents of ringworm; and plants such as mistletoe, dodder, and the broomrapes.

<i>Ascaris lumbricoides</i> One of several species of Ascaris

Ascaris lumbricoides is a large parasitic worm that causes ascariasis in humans. A roundworm of genus Ascaris, it is the most common parasitic worm in humans. An estimated one-sixth of the human population is at some point infected by a roundworm such as A. lumbricoides; people living in tropical and subtropical countries are at greater risk of infection.

<i>Strongyloides stercoralis</i> Species of worm

Strongyloides stercoralis is a human pathogenic parasitic roundworm causing the disease strongyloidiasis. Its common name in the US is threadworm. In the UK and Australia, however, the term threadworm can also refer to nematodes of the genus Enterobius, otherwise known as pinworms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parasitic disease</span> Medical condition

A parasitic disease, also known as parasitosis, is an infectious disease caused by parasites. Parasites are organisms which derive sustenance from its host while causing it harm. The study of parasites and parasitic diseases is known as parasitology. Medical parasitology is concerned with three major groups of parasites: parasitic protozoa, helminths, and parasitic arthropods. Parasitic diseases are thus considered those diseases that are caused by pathogens belonging taxonomically to either the animal kingdom, or the protozoan kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parasitology</span> Study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them

Parasitology is the study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them. As a biological discipline, the scope of parasitology is not determined by the organism or environment in question but by their way of life. This means it forms a synthesis of other disciplines, and draws on techniques from fields such as cell biology, bioinformatics, biochemistry, molecular biology, immunology, genetics, evolution and ecology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ascariasis</span> Disease caused by the parasitic roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides

Ascariasis is a disease caused by the parasitic roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides. Infections have no symptoms in more than 85% of cases, especially if the number of worms is small. Symptoms increase with the number of worms present and may include shortness of breath and fever in the beginning of the disease. These may be followed by symptoms of abdominal swelling, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Children are most commonly affected, and in this age group the infection may also cause poor weight gain, malnutrition, and learning problems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helminthiasis</span> Any macroparasitic disease caused by helminths

Helminthiasis, also known as worm infection, is any macroparasitic disease of humans and other animals in which a part of the body is infected with parasitic worms, known as helminths. There are numerous species of these parasites, which are broadly classified into tapeworms, flukes, and roundworms. They often live in the gastrointestinal tract of their hosts, but they may also burrow into other organs, where they induce physiological damage.

<i>Anisakis</i> Genus of parasitic nematodes

Anisakis is a genus of parasitic nematodes that have life cycles involving fish and marine mammals. They are infective to humans and cause anisakiasis. People who produce immunoglobulin E in response to this parasite may subsequently have an allergic reaction, including anaphylaxis, after eating fish infected with Anisakis species.

<i>Ascaris suum</i> Species of roundworm

Ascaris suum, also known as the large roundworm of pig, is a parasitic nematode that causes ascariasis in pigs. While roundworms in pigs and humans are today considered as two species with different hosts, cross-infection between humans and pigs is possible; some researchers have thus argued they are the same species. Ascariasis is associated with contact to pigs and pig manure in Denmark.

<i>Ascaris</i> Genus of roundworms

Ascaris is a nematode genus of parasitic worms known as the "small intestinal roundworms", which is a type of parasitic worm. One species, Ascaris lumbricoides, affects humans and causes the disease ascariasis. Another species, Ascaris suum, typically infects pigs. Other ascarid genera infect other animals, such as Parascaris equorum, the equine roundworm, and Toxocara and Toxascaris, which infect dogs and cats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parasitic worm</span> Large type of parasitic organism

Parasitic worms, also known as helminths, are large macroparasites; adults can generally be seen with the naked eye. Many are intestinal worms that are soil-transmitted and infect the gastrointestinal tract. Other parasitic worms such as schistosomes reside in blood vessels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paleoparasitology</span> Study of prehistoric parasites

Paleoparasitology is the study of parasites from the past, and their interactions with hosts and vectors; it is a subfield of paleontology, the study of living organisms from the past. Some authors define this term more narrowly, as "Paleoparasitology is the study of parasites in archaeological material." K.J. Reinhard suggests that the term "archaeoparasitology" be applied to "... all parasitological remains excavated from archaeological contexts ... derived from human activity" and that "the term 'paleoparasitology' be applied to studies of nonhuman, paleontological material." This article follows Reinhard's suggestion and discusses the protozoan and animal parasites of non-human animals and plants from the past, while those from humans and our hominid ancestors are covered in archaeoparasitology.

<i>Capillaria</i> (nematode) Genus of roundworms

Capillaria is a genus of nematodes in the family Capillariidae .

<i>Thelazia callipaeda</i> Species of worm

Thelazia callipaeda is a parasitic nematode, and the most common cause of thelaziasis in humans, dogs and cats. It was first discovered in the eyes of a dog in China in 1910. By 2000, over 250 human cases had been reported in the medical literature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthelmintic</span> Antiparasitic drugs that expel parasitic worms (helminths) from the body

Anthelmintics or antihelminthics are a group of antiparasitic drugs that expel parasitic worms (helminths) and other internal parasites from the body by either stunning or killing them and without causing significant damage to the host. They may also be called vermifuges or vermicides. Anthelmintics are used to treat people who are infected by helminths, a condition called helminthiasis. These drugs are also used to treat infected animals.

<i>Teladorsagia circumcincta</i> Species of roundworm

Teladorsagia circumcincta is a nematode that is one of the most important parasites of sheep and goats. It was previously known as Ostertagia circumcincta and is colloquially known as the brown stomach worm. It is common in cool, temperate areas, such as south-eastern and south-western Australia and the United Kingdom. There is considerable variation among lambs and kids in susceptibility to infection. Much of the variation is genetic and influences the immune response. The parasite induces a type I hypersensitivity response which is responsible for the relative protein deficiency which is characteristic of severely infected animals. There are mechanistic mathematical models which can predict the course of infection. There are a variety of ways to control the infection and a combination of control measures is likely to provide the most effective and sustainable control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capillariidae</span> Family of roundworms

Capillariidae is a family of parasitic nematodes. All its members are parasites in vertebrates when they are in their adult stage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">František Moravec (parasitologist)</span> Czech parasitologist (born 1939)

František Moravec is a Czech parasitologist who specialises on the Nematodes, especially the nematodes parasites of fishes. His research is mainly in the field of taxonomy of the Nematoda.

Lani Sue Stephenson was an American parasitologist and nutritionist, "a pioneer in field-based studies on nutrition–parasite interactions".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmen C. Velasquez</span> Filipino parasitologist (1913-1994)

Carmen Camacho Velasquez was a Filipino parasitologist. She specialized in parasites of the tropical fish of the Philippines. She is known for her work on the taxonomy of Digenea and was the first to describe the parasitic nematode Capillaria philippinensis, which causes intestinal capillariasis in humans.

References

  1. Okulewicz A, Lonc E (2001). "New/old opinions on the systematics and phylogenesis of the nematodes, with the special regard to Ascaridida, Ascaridoidea". Wiad Parazytol. 47 (3): 263–268. PMID   16894732.
  2. Nadler SA, Carreno RA, Mejia-Madrid H, Ullberg J, Pagan C, Houston R, Hugot JP (2007). "Molecular phylogeny of clade III nematodes reveals multiple origins of tissue parasitism". Parasitology. 134 (10): 1421–1442. doi:10.1017/S0031182007002880. PMID   17506928. S2CID   2182134.
  3. Anderson RC (2000). Nematode Parasites of Vertebrates. Their Development and Transmission, 2nd ed. CAB International, Wallingford, Oxon, UK, pp. 245-315. ISBN   0-85199-421-0
  4. Poinar Jr, G. and Boucot, A. J. (2006) Evidence of intestinal parasites of dinosaurs. Parasitology, 133: 245-249.
  5. Sprent, J. F. A. (1985). "Ascaridoid Nematodes of Amphibians and Reptiles: Seuratascaris n. g." Annales de Parasitologie Humaine et Comparée. 60 (3): 231–246. doi: 10.1051/parasite/1985603231 . ISSN   0003-4150. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg