Soil-transmitted helminthiasis

Soil-transmitted helminthiasis comprises intestinal infections caused by parasitic nematodes whose eggs or larvae mature in soil contaminated with human feces.

Ascaris lumbricoides: A large intestinal roundworm transmitted when people swallow infective eggs from contaminated soil. Its eggs mature in soil before ingestion, and migrating larvae pass through the lungs.
Mass drug administration: The distribution of medicines to an at-risk population without requiring individual diagnosis first. Periodic treatment reduces worm burdens where infections are common.
Iron-deficiency anemia: Anemia caused by insufficient iron to produce adequate hemoglobin. Blood-feeding hookworms can cause chronic intestinal blood loss and iron depletion.
Anthelmintic resistance: The inherited ability of parasites to survive doses of medicines that once controlled them. Repeated population-wide treatment raises concern about reduced drug effectiveness over time.
Enterobiasis: An intestinal infection caused by the pinworm Enterobius vermicularis, usually spread through ingestion of eggs. Pinworm eggs spread readily between people and do not require soil maturation.
Trichuris trichiura: The whipworm species that infects the large intestine after people ingest embryonated eggs. Its eggs develop outside the body in soil, then hatch after ingestion.
Albendazole: A broad-spectrum anthelmintic medicine used to treat several intestinal worm infections. It is commonly used in preventive chemotherapy against soil-transmitted worms.
Protein-energy malnutrition: A condition caused by inadequate intake or use of protein and energy. Heavy worm burdens can worsen nutritional deficits through impaired intake and nutrient loss.
Reinfection: A new infection acquired after an earlier infection has cleared or been treated. Continued exposure to contaminated soil can quickly restore worm burdens after treatment.
Strongyloidiasis: An infection caused by Strongyloides stercoralis, a nematode capable of autoinfection in humans. Its autoinfection and persistence distinguish it from the principal soil-transmitted helminths.

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