Ascaris control: where do we stand?

ABSTRACT

Ascaris lumbricoides [the largest roundworm] is the most common and potentially serious pathogenic geo-helminth which is estimated of infect approximately 1300 million people. Its complications have been estimated cause 100, 000 deaths each year. World's population harbors 10, 000 million ascaris with a total burden of around 100 tons. Prevalence rates of the order of 16-97.6% have been recorded in many Asian and Latin countries. Ascariasis is a dirt disease, the load of which, unfortunately, its advancing, not receding. The toll is going high up because of increase in population and deterioration of sanitary conditions. Permanent freedom from the parasitions could not be expected till millions of residents of slum areas in developing countries succeed in getting clean environments. This does not seem to be an attainable goal in near future because the meager resource of these countries have already been over-stretched and provision of safe water and safe toilet facilities is a quite remote possibility