Ascariasis is difficult to detect, and it is important to identify the invasion in the early stages. The main diagnostic method is a blood test for roundworms. The answer to the question of how to identify chronic ascariasis, as a rule, is offered by less complex and costly methods.

Main groups of diagnostic methods for ascariasis

The primary diagnosis of roundworm infection is made by a doctor. Without examining and interviewing the patient, without taking into account the medical history, it is impossible to establish the time and cause of the appearance of worms.

Depending on the stage of the life cycle of roundworms in the body, negative interpretations of one of the diagnostic methods do not guarantee the absence of a threat of helminthic infestation. In this case, ascariasis:

• at the migration stage it is diagnosed using specific and serological tests. Laboratory diagnostics are clarified instrumentally: radiographically, ultrasound, CT or endoscopy;
• at the intestinal stage, positive results are obtained by conventional coprogram or coproovoscopy. Usually, for clarification, a blood test is performed, including for antibodies, the results of which are also confirmed by instrumental studies: ultrasound, radiography, and less often others.

Types of disease diagnosis

Considering that during the migration phase and during the intestinal phase it strongly overlaps with diseases of the local organs, it is counterproductive to use a diagnosis based on the use of any single method.

Therefore, when establishing ascariasis as the main diagnosis, it is necessary to use differential diagnostic methods.

At the chronic stage, which is necessarily diagnosed by ultrasound or radiography of the abdominal cavity, it is necessary to involve a surgeon for consultation and comprehensively examine the small and large intestines.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

One of the most effective examination methods is ELISA. Despite the certain specificity of antibody production in the body of an adult, it shows a positive or negative result when diagnosing ascariasis.

Features of delivery

By resisting the antigens that are inevitably produced by roundworms, the immune system in the human body generates specific antibodies (immunoglobulins, such as roundworm IgG or IgM) to eliminate the toxic effects of worms on the body. The concentration and quality of antibodies in the blood is the basis for determining not only ascariasis itself, but also the time and degree of invasion.

There are different types corresponding to different periods of infection, namely antibodies to ascaris antigens: A, G, M and general: D, E. By the presence of a particular immunoglobulin, you can reliably determine the time of infection: a positive IgG indicator appears from the third to the sixth week of ascariasis , and IgM – already on the fifth day.

When is it carried out?

Blood is donated for roundworms after simpler diagnostic procedures have been completed, for example, general clinical tests in combination with x-rays. Provided that the symptoms are severe and previous studies have not yielded results, it makes sense to use Ig markers.

• in case of mixed infections, the pathogen is accurately detected and identified;
• at critical values ​​in relation to the norms of other blood tests;
• to monitor treatment results over time.

It is extremely rare, but ELISA is used when the threshold of the epidemiological situation among the population is exceeded. Because it is impossible to determine the degree using diagnostics using less expensive methods.

How to prepare for the test

To detect roundworms in the human body, venous blood is taken from adults, and capillary blood from children.

It is better not to take medications for two days. If it is impossible to interrupt the treatment, the laboratory technician must be notified.

In addition, adults have additional restrictions: about a day before donating blood, it is better for them to abstain from cigarettes and alcohol.

Advantages

An analysis to detect antibodies to roundworms in the blood is expensive. And the research technique is complex, however, these difficulties are offset by obvious advantages:

• high reliability of the method – approximately 90%;
• possibility of early diagnosis;
• informativeness of the dynamics of ascariasis. Allows you to adjust therapy during the treatment process;
• speed of obtaining test results for roundworms.

Fecal examination

The classic method for detecting ascariasis in adults and children is stool analysis. A simple coprogram and coproovoscopy are effective provided that there are ascaris eggs in the intestines. High reliability is possible only at the stage of chronic infection, since the diagnosis of ascariasis has certain disadvantages.

If the intestines contain old, immature or adult individuals of the same sex, testing for roundworms in the feces will not give results. In this case, it is advisable to perform PCR of feces. The analysis makes it possible to identify not traces of the vital activity of roundworms, but fragments of their DNA.

How many times should I test stool to be sure of the diagnosis?

Depending on the results of the first stool examination, subsequent ones are recommended to be carried out 3 to 6 times in a row. The period for collecting material is 1-2 days. In this case, it is enough to take stool PCR twice with an interval of two to three weeks.

X-ray in the diagnosis of ascariasis

Despite the fact that radiography with contrast staining and ultrasound are actively used during the intestinal stage of infection, chronic ascariasis is quite easy to identify using laboratory methods.

The use of X-rays is most justified in the early stages of ascariasis diagnosis. To do this, a photograph of the lungs is taken, in which, during the migratory phase of the disease, helminthic infiltrates with lymph and blood are visible.

Interpretation of test results for ascariasis

Despite the high accuracy of the method, it is recommended to donate blood several times for ascariasis. Conclusions can be of only three types:

• a positive result confirms the diagnosis of ascariasis. It should be taken into account that antibodies are still produced by the immune system for some time in patients who have recently suffered an invasion;
• negative. Indicates the absence of worms. May be erroneous at the very beginning of the disease;
• questionable (doubtful) when the values ​​are borderline normal. We are required to check it again, and if we receive the same result, it is interpreted as negative.

All laboratories work on different equipment, use reagents that are completely different in quality and sometimes composition, and what’s more, the samples are also different. That is why on the sheets with test results, everyone gives their decoding standards. Almost without exception.

Reference values ​​– norm

With ascariasis, a blood test shows a several-fold increase in the amount of total immunoglobulins, namely IgD and IgE, despite the fact that the norm for the content of antibodies to ascaris in the serum is respectively<0,15г/л и <0,3мг/л.

Specific immunoglobulins are highly differentiated depending on the age of the patient; for adults, each indicator is normally:

Often, diagnosis of roundworms is based on the IgG antibody titer. The norm is 1/100. Experts usually recommend this indicator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Complex and costly tests raise many questions for patients who, if ascariasis is suspected, are forced to undergo complex diagnostics.

Blood test for antibodies to roundworms - a scam for money?

ELISA gives an almost unambiguous result at the early stage of infection. Maximum reliability from 10 to 30 days. If the invasion lasts more than three months, is accompanied by the patient’s immunodeficiency, and the examination is carried out in newborns, then characteristic antibodies in the blood serum are quite difficult to detect or their value will be threshold with a high probability of error.

Which analysis is more accurate?

If the primary diagnosis calls into question ascariasis, then the study should be comprehensive, since in different cases they can be detected using fundamentally different methods.

What is the probability of error when testing for ascariasis?

A positive or negative result in the acute stage of development gives an error of only 10%. Moreover, the accuracy of determining individual antibodies, for example, IgG to roundworms, is at least 94%. Questionable analyzes are subject to clarification. Approximately a month after the first study, repeated results are analyzed over time, and if the titer decreases or increases, respectively, a negative or positive conclusion is given.

Can ascariasis be asymptomatic?

At the early stage of the roundworm's life cycle, in particular during migration throughout the body, especially with minor damage, ascariasis is practically asymptomatic.

Students, graduate students, young scientists who use the knowledge base in their studies and work will be very grateful to you.

The digestive system begins with the mouth opening, surrounded by 3 lips (ridges). Semi-digested food by the host first enters the short pharynx, then into the midgut, where it is finally digested and absorbed. The midgut passes into the hindgut, ending in the anus.

The male reproductive system is represented by one testis, which passes into the vas deferens, which flows into the hindgut. Females have 2 ovaries. Oviducts depart from them, passing into the uterus, which merge into an unpaired vagina, opening with a hole in the ventral side of the body. Fertilization is internal. Roundworms reproduce only sexually. These are dioecious organisms. The reproductive organs look like convoluted tubes. A fertilized female has an annular depression at the border of the anterior and middle third of the body - the constriction of Mozgova A. A., Ascaridates of animals and humans and the diseases caused by them, book. 1, M., 1953. .

The female lays up to 240,000 eggs daily in the human intestine, which are excreted into the external environment with feces. The eggs are covered with 5 shells, so they are very resistant to adverse conditions; they can only be killed by substances that dissolve fat: alcohol, ether, gasoline or hot water, direct sunlight. The development of roundworm occurs without a host; the eggs reach maturity in the soil after leaving the human intestine. Moist soil, direct access to oxygen and a temperature of 25-27 ° C contribute to the formation of larvae in the egg on the 16-17th day. At lower or higher temperatures, ripening times change.

The morphological structure of roundworm eggs is shown in the table.

Drawing - Human roundworm

2. Laboratory diagnosis of ascariasis

Diagnosis of ascariasis in the migratory stage is based on the recognition of eosinophilic infiltrates, taking into account clinical, radiological, hematological and immunological data. The X-ray picture of these infiltrates can simulate tuberculosis, pneumonia, or lung tumor. The main difference between infiltrates in ascariasis is their rapid disappearance without any residual effects. Similar infiltrates can be found in other helminthiasis - hookworm and strongyloidiasis.

Laboratory diagnosis of ascariasis is carried out by identifying helminth eggs in feces. Laboratory diagnosis is based on the detection of roundworm eggs in feces using the Kato method or enrichment according to Kalantaryan, Fulleborn, etc. or adult roundworms after diagnostic deworming. Larval ascariasis can be diagnosed using immunological methods (RP, RNGA, RSK, RLA, bentonite-flocculation reaction).

Moving along the bronchi to the pharynx, roundworms with sputum enter the mouth, and from there into the esophagus, stomach and intestines. In the intestines, roundworms are retained by pushing against the intestinal walls, causing inflammation, infiltration and hemorrhage. Complications are possible if roundworms enter the nasal sinuses, liver, bile ducts, pancreas and kidneys. Intestinal obstruction and suppurative processes in the abdominal cavity occur. The diagnosis is based on stool tests (at least 3 times), immunological tests - in the larval period.

The eggs mature in the soil after leaving the human intestine. In moist soil with access to oxygen and a temperature of 25-27 degrees, a larva forms in the egg on days 16-17. Infection occurs when such eggs are ingested with unwashed vegetables, fruits, or water, as well as when flies transfer eggs to food. From the swallowed eggs in the intestine, microscopic larvae emerge, which then migrate through the intestinal walls into the blood vessels, the liver, the inferior vena cava, the right atrium and ventricle of the heart, and then into the lungs. When coughing up, the larvae from the lungs with a stream of mucus through the respiratory tract enter the pharynx and are swallowed a second time, stopping in the small intestine, where they reach sexual maturity.

Ascaris injure the human intestinal mucosa and poison the body with toxic substances (metabolic products). Cause pain in the stomach and intestines, indigestion, decreased appetite, decreased performance and other phenomena. To protect against roundworm infection, you must follow the rules of personal hygiene - carefully wash your hands before eating, do not eat poorly washed vegetables and fruits, and protect food from flies, cockroaches and other insects. Patients with ascariasis should consult a doctor and, on the doctor’s recommendation, use medications (santonin, hexylresorcinol) or oxygen therapy to remove ascaris from the intestines.

presentation, added 04/26/2016

The concept and background of ascariasis as an anthroponotic geohelminthiasis, characterized by damage to the respiratory tract and allergic reactions, chronic damage to the gastrointestinal tract and complications. Description of the pathogen and route of infection.

presentation, added 07/09/2016

Examination of stool to detect helminths, their fragments, larvae or eggs. Thick smear with cellophane (Kato method). Enrichment and tape techniques, muscle biopsy. Diagnosis of tissue helminthiases. Distinctive features of helminth eggs.

abstract, added 09/08/2009

Study of the etiology, pathogenesis, symptoms, methods of diagnosis and treatment of ascariasis - helminthiasis from the group of intestinal nematodes, caused by roundworms, manifested by allergies, dyspeptic symptoms when helminths penetrate other organs.

presentation, added 03/24/2019

course work, added 04/09/2014

presentation, added 02/02/2017

The dependence of susceptibility to infectious diseases on many factors: age, previous and concomitant diseases, nutrition, vaccination. Main types of helminthic worms. Characteristics of hookworm disease, ascariasis, hymenolepiasis.

presentation, added 03/09/2016

Criteria for the pathological process, degree and pathogenesis of eosinophilia. Level of eosinophilia, symptoms, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and surgical complications of helminthiases: ascariasis, toxocariasis, trichinosis, schistosomiasis, echinococcosis, giardiasis.

abstract, added 04/10/2009

abstract, added 09.29.2012

General characteristics, epidemiology and etiology of ascariasis in children. Clinical and pathogenetic characteristics and principles of diagnosis of this disease, approaches to treatment. Implementation of therapeutic and diagnostic interventions for ascariasis in children.

Ascariasis is a human disease caused by the larval and adult stages of helminths Ascaris lumbricoides belonging to the class of roundworms. Man is first an intermediate host, in whose liver and lungs 3 stages of helminth larvae live and develop, and the final host of adult roundworms living in the small intestine.
Each adult female roundworm lays approximately 240 thousand eggs per day, which are excreted in the patient’s feces. In ascaris eggs that enter cesspools with feces, embryo development does not occur due to lack of oxygen. The embryos in a mixture of feces and urine gradually die, and the higher the temperature, the faster. If the patient’s feces are scattered throughout the yard, vegetable garden, or garden, then the embryo in the roundworm eggs can reach the stage of an infective larva. This occurs under conditions favorable for their development - soil temperature from 13 to 36 ° C, soil humidity of at least 8%, moderate solar radiation. In the spring-summer and autumn periods, in the presence of such conditions, roundworm eggs reach a stage that is infectious to humans in a few weeks. Eggs with infective larvae in the soil can retain the ability to infect humans for a very long time (several years).
Due to the fact that soil is needed for the development of the embryo, roundworms were called geohelminths, and ascariasis - geohelminthiasis. Ascariasis is common where natural conditions are favorable for the development of eggs.

Infection

A person becomes infected by swallowing roundworm eggs that have matured to the larval stage. In the contents of the stomach and duodenum, the larvae are released from the egg membranes, penetrate into the blood vessels of the small intestine and enter the liver through the bloodstream. During the period of migration through the liver, some larvae die as a result of the action of factors of humoral and tissue immunity. The larvae that pass through the liver enter the heart cavity with venous blood and then into the lungs. When the larvae migrate through the lungs, they emerge from the blood vessels into the bronchioles, ascend along the ciliated epithelium into the bronchi, trachea, larynx, then into the pharynx, where they are again swallowed with saliva.

Clinic and diagnostics

From the moment of infection to the secondary ingestion of migrated larvae, approximately 3 weeks pass.

The duration of the migration phase of ascariasis consists of 2 periods:

1. incubation, lasting 8 days, counting from the moment of ingestion of eggs with larvae;
2. clinically pronounced period (from the 9th to the 21st day after infection), when the migratory phase of ascariasis is manifested by a dry cough, attacks of which are quite painful at night.

Control tests for the presence of roundworm eggs should be prescribed 2 weeks after treatment. If roundworm eggs are found, deworming must be done again. In addition to a control analysis after 2-3 weeks, you need to do another one - 1½-2 months after treatment. This analysis will allow us to identify roundworms that have grown during this time from larvae that were not expelled the first time by medications.
If the result of the long-term analysis is negative, then the person can be considered cleared of ascariasis.

Prevention

The duty of a medical professional is to explain to a person the measures to prevent ascariasis and to guarantee against re-infection. To do this, in addition to interviewing the patient himself and collecting an epidemiological history, it is necessary to become familiar with his place of residence, the characteristics of his work, housekeeping, and compliance with the rules of hygiene at home. Having found out the possible routes of infection, it is necessary to conduct a conversation in the microfocus, the patient’s family, interview its members (find out if there are any complaints, ascaris discharge, find out transmission factors - whether unwashed greens, berries, cucumbers are eaten, whether the soil of the estate is contaminated with feces, Is the garden fertilized with sewage from the toilet, how often do you wash your hands). As a result of the examination, it is possible to determine whether the patient’s family is a microfocus of ascariasis, i.e., whether there are conditions on the estate for the reproduction of the invasion. If there are any, then this is a true microfocus. It may turn out that the infection could have occurred from berries, fruits, and vegetables purchased at the market or in a store that were not washed well enough before eating.
Depending on whether the family is a microfocus or not, it is necessary to plan health-improving activities. In a microfocus, it is necessary to examine family members for helminth infections, deworm those identified, and familiarize them with measures to prevent ascariasis and protect the soil from contamination with feces. The micro-focus must be monitored for at least 3 years, developing certain hygienic skills among residents. They should know that the soil will contain roundworm eggs for a number of years and they can become infected by ingesting them from soil that was once contaminated with the feces of patients. The age of soil contamination matters. 3-5 years after stopping fertilization or contamination with sewage, there are fewer eggs in the soil and infection is unlikely. But if contamination continues, a large number of eggs accumulate in the soil and infection is possible even from eating unwashed berries, carrots or cucumbers.
Hands that are contaminated while working in the garden or playing in the children's yard and not washed before preparing or eating food are sometimes the main factor in the transmission of roundworm eggs. The second, and sometimes the first most important factor in the transmission of roundworm eggs are berries (for example, strawberries), greens, cucumbers, carrots grown on contaminated soil. If these products are eaten insufficiently washed, soil particles adhering to them, containing ascaris eggs with larvae, are swallowed along with them.
It is better not to grow vegetables, herbs, and root vegetables eaten raw in such soil. If products are bought at the market and it is not known on what soil they are grown, then they must be thoroughly washed to remove soil particles and be sure to scald with boiling water, which kills the embryo in roundworm eggs in 2-3 seconds. It is better to cook compote from mashed berries.
Residents of a microfocus of ascariasis should know that before fertilizing the garden soil with sewage, it is necessary to destroy the ascaris eggs in them. This is achieved by digging a hole for 2 years or composting sewage with manure, garbage, peat until it completely burns out, i.e. humus formation.

Trichocephalosis

Trichocephalosis is a human disease caused by the whipworm ( Trichocephalustrichiurus) is a round grayish worm 3.5 cm long. The head end of the helminth is thin and resembles hair. The female whipworm lays about 60 thousand eggs during the day, which are released in the feces of humans, the definitive host of the helminth. Whipworms live mainly in the cecum and large intestine of humans. If whipworm eggs fall into the soil, then, like roundworm eggs, they develop into a larva that is infectious to humans. Thus, the causative agent of trichocephalosis is also geohelminth, and trichocephalosis is geohelminthosis.
Trichocephalosis most often affects rural residents in areas with a warm and humid climate, in the soil of which whipworm eggs found in the feces of patients develop and retain their invasive ability. They are less resistant to frost than roundworm eggs, so where winters are cold, trichocephalosis is less common than in the south of the country.

Infection

It happens in the same way as with ascariasis. A larva emerges from the swallowed egg and first lives in the villi of the small intestine, where it grows. After a few days, it descends into the cecum and large intestine, where it is fixed by the hair-like head end to the mucous membrane and reaches sexual maturity. Thus, unlike roundworm larvae, whipworm larvae do not migrate throughout the body. The whipworm lives in the intestines for 5 - 6 years.

Clinic and treatment

Trichocephalosis is manifested by malaise, abdominal pain, often in the right iliac region, and various dyspeptic symptoms. Colitis may develop. From the nervous system, headaches, dizziness, and fainting may occur. For the treatment of patients with trichuriasis, naftamon, difezil, and mebendazole (Vermox) are used. The effectiveness of the drugs reaches 70%, but with repeated courses of treatment it increases. Mass treatment in foci and microfoci of trichuriasis was carried out to a limited extent due to the bitter taste of the first 2 drugs and insufficient knowledge of the latter. For individual treatment of patients, each of these drugs is the drug of choice. The first are prescribed in a dose of 5 grams for adults and children over 5 years old once a day for 5 days in a row; children under 5 years old - 2.5 grams per day; 5 days in a row. Taking naphtamon in a daily dose of 5 grams for adults with trichuriasis, and in a dose of 2.5 grams for children, for 5 days leads to a cure in 33-46% of patients. The effectiveness of tableted naphthamon is 55-62%.
Data from a clinical trial of difezil showed that after 5 days of treatment at a daily dose of 2.5-5 grams (depending on age) when taking the drug three times orally before meals, cure and a sharp decrease in the intensity of invasion occur in 65-85% of patients.
Vermox is prescribed with meals, the daily dose for adults and adolescents is 100 mg, for children from 2 to 10 years old 25-50 mg for 3 days in a row. The maximum daily dose of Vermox for trichocephalosis (100 mg 2 times a day for adults and adolescents) for 3 consecutive days provides a cure rate of 61%.
Control tests are carried out after treatment at the same time as for ascariasis. Prevention measures for trichuriasis are the same as for ascariasis, the main one being protecting the soil from contamination with feces.

Prevention

In microfoci of trichuriasis, it is necessary to provide sanitary education and increase the hygienic knowledge of residents, improve the yard, and introduce sanitary skills into everyday life. Monitoring of microfoci also needs to be carried out for a number of years until all residents are completely healthy. Geohelminthiases affect the physical and mental development of children, reduce their ability to work, cause anemia and other pathological conditions. The fight against these helminthiases is one of the important tasks not only of health authorities, but also of public organizations, village councils, and public utilities.

The most likely location for adult roundworms is the intestinal loops. The severity, as well as the nature of the symptoms of this disease, directly depends on the stage of ascariasis. Medical specialists have identified two main stages of development of this pathology in adults and children:

• Migration stage, the main symptoms of which directly depend on the location of the final localization of the roundworm larvae;
• Intestinal stage, which is characterized by the progression of the vital activity of adult helminths within the gastrointestinal tract.

The severity of the migratory phase of ascariasis can be completely different, and it depends on the number of pathogen larvae that have entered the body. The presence of massive helminthic infestation manifests itself in the form of a characteristic clinical picture. The absence of any characteristic symptoms of ascariasis may indicate a small number of pathogen larvae that have entered the human body.

Main symptoms

Below we will discuss the main signs of ascariasis, taking into account each of the above stages.

Migration stage

This stage of ascariasis is characterized by the appearance of three global groups of signs, among which are:

• general signs;
• skin reactions;
• pulmonary manifestations.

The mechanism of occurrence of each of the above groups of symptoms is an allergic reaction. Once in the human body, roundworm larvae provoke the formation of a response from the immune system, resulting in the following symptoms:

• general malaise and increased fatigue;
• decreased performance;
• complete or partial loss of appetite;
• sleep disturbance;
• increased body temperature;
• A cough with ascariasis with the release of viscous sputum is also characteristic;
• development of respiratory failure;
• damage to lung tissue.

Among the skin manifestations of the migratory stage of ascariasis, one can highlight the appearance of a specific skin rash, blisters, as well as red spots in the area of ​​the phalanges of the fingers and the dorsum of the palms and feet. A person may also be bothered by burning and itching in the area of ​​the rash.

Intestinal stage

The progression of this stage may be accompanied by the formation of a variety of symptoms. The most severe consequence of this stage is the development of a chronic inflammatory process in the intestinal loops. Often, the symptoms of ascariasis may resemble the clinical picture of gastric bleeding, acute appendicitis, as well as gastric and duodenal ulcers. In order to facilitate diagnosis, medical specialists have divided this stage of ascariasis into several separate complexes, each of which has a number of specific symptoms.

Groups of symptoms:

• Neurological complex;
• Gastropathic complex;
• Hypotonic complex;
• Anemic complex;
• Gastroenterocolitic complex.

The formation of a gastropathic and gastroenterocolitic complex of symptoms is typical in the case of ascariasis affecting the stomach and intestines. In this case, there is a persistent disturbance of appetite in the direction of its increase, when the patient experiences a constant feeling of hunger. The feeling of nausea most often occurs on an empty stomach and disappears immediately after eating. The phenomenon of hypersalivation often occurs when patients complain of excessive salivation at night. Flatulence and nagging pain in the epigastric region become constant companions of a person suffering from ascariasis. Stool disorder during the intestinal stage of ascariasis is expressed by alternating constipation and diarrhea. Roundworms can have a significant impact on the acid-base balance of the stomach cavity, thereby provoking the development of gastritis.

Gastroenterocolitic type symptoms are characterized by the occurrence of a persistent inflammatory process in the walls of the small and large intestines. The main manifestation of this condition is the predominance of loose stools mixed with blood and mucus. Upon visual inspection of stool, adult roundworms may be observed. This symptom complex is characterized by spontaneous disappearance after the death of adult roundworms.

Anemic type characterized by the formation of changes in the clinical picture of blood. In a general blood test, this can be expressed as a decrease in the concentration of red blood cells and hemoglobin, a drop in platelet levels, and an increase in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

Neurological type is typical for any person suffering from ascariasis. In this case, a person begins to feel a decrease in performance, increased irritability, memory deterioration, decreased attention, and the appearance of apathy. In more severe cases, the clinical picture of ascariasis can be expressed in the form of symptoms of meningitis or through epileptic seizures and convulsions. More rare neurological symptoms of roundworms include photophobia and loss of voice.

Possible complications

• Obstruction of the bile ducts and, as a result, cholelithiasis.
• Intestinal obstruction and intestinal perforation (through holes).
• Pancreatitis.

Ascariasis is a widespread type of helminthic infestation. The disease is diagnosed in children and adults. In modern medicine, there are many research methods that allow you to quickly and accurately determine the presence of roundworms in the body at any stage of the disease. Diagnosis of ascariasis includes different types of studies, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Primary detection

Diagnosis of helminthic infestation begins with collecting anamnesis, a thorough examination and questioning of the patient. An infectious disease specialist identifies the possible source and cause of infection. At the first stage of diagnosis, it is important to find out how much time has passed since the first manifestation of clinical signs of infection.

Ascariasis at an early stage manifests itself in the form of severe intoxication of the body, decreased performance, weakness, and irritability. A person may complain of frequent headaches and muscle pain.

After the initial examination, the doctor gives a referral for laboratory tests.

Research methods

To clarify the diagnosis, it is necessary to go through several stages of differential diagnosis.

Laboratory diagnosis of ascariasis includes:

• clinical blood test;
• X-ray examination;
• stool analysis;
• biochemical urine test;
• enzyme immunodiagnostics.

Important! Timely diagnosis of ascariasis in children is very important, since invasion can lead to the development of serious complications. Without proper treatment for infection, a child may develop pneumonia, bronchitis, and possible hemorrhages.

The presence of worms in the body is indicated by a high level of eosinophils - these leukocytes neutralize histamine, which is produced when foreign bodies are present in the body.

When ascariasis passes into the chronic stage, the number of leukocytes in the blood decreases - prolonged infection causes a weakening of the immune system.

Important! The norm of eosinophils is 0–5%. With helminthic infestation, the rate increases to 25%.

Other types of blood tests

In addition to a general blood test, for ascariasis it is necessary to undergo biochemical and serological testing.

What indicators should you pay attention to:

• increased ALT concentration – normal 7–41 IU/l;
• increase in AST – normal concentration is 10–38 IU/l;
• increase in alkaline phosphatase - for women this figure should not exceed 240 U/l, for men the norm is 270 U/l;
• high bilirubin level - values ​​​​should be in the range of 8.5–20.55 µmol/l.

For serological studies, blood is taken from a vein. The study is aimed at identifying specific antibodies M and G. An enzyme immunoassay with the roundworm antigen is highly sensitive and reliable - the presence of roundworms can be detected within 5 days after infection.

If the titer is less than 1:100, the result is considered negative; the likelihood of the presence of roundworms in the body is minimal. A titer of more than 1:100 indicates a positive result - the person is currently infected or has recently suffered from the disease.

If the result is questionable, antibodies are present in the blood, the amount of which is close to the threshold value. The second option is that the test material contains immunoglobulins of other types.

If clinical manifestations of ascariasis are present, but the result of a serological test is negative, then it is necessary to take the test again after a few weeks. The reliability of the results is influenced by the degree of infection and the state of the immune system.

X-ray examination

When migrating inside the human body, the larvae attach themselves to the walls of the internal organs using hooks. In this position, they wait for a favorable moment to transform into an adult.

Stool examination

The coprogram helps to identify intestinal forms of helminthic infestation. For a reliable diagnosis, you need to test stool at least 3 times with an interval of 10–14 days.

• the presence of roundworms of the same sex in the intestines – reproduction is impossible;
• if the intestines are inhabited by too young or old individuals;
• taking certain medications to treat chronic diseases.

For a more accurate diagnosis, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is performed.