Pulmonary ascariasis in patients from wealthy countries: shift in epidemiology?

Rare presentation of haemobilia and Loeffler’s pneumonia in a child by ascaris lumbricoides

“…Systemic steroids produce a dramatic response in these patients as was evident in our indexed case and we were able to wean him off the ventilator in 48 hours. Systemic steroids reduce the survival of inflammatory cells, including eosinophils, by blocking interleukin-5 and the granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor 9…”

Ascariasis, a review

“…Finally, A. suum and A. lumbricoides are able to interbreed creating hybrids [22,25,26]. The host infidelity, overwhelming genetic and macroscopic similarities, and the capacity to interbreed have led to debates regarding whether or not A. lumbricoides and A. suum can be considered separate species [22,[27][28][29][30][31]. The most widely accepted definition of a species includes the ability of the members to procreate fertile offspring.…”

“…Consequently, ascariasis infections contracted in these areas are more likely to be due to A. suum than due to A. lumbricoides. Further, as the two ascaris species are hard to differentiate, under-reporting of human A. suum cases is highly likely, particularly in endemic areas where pigs are raised [29,30].…”

Prediction of MHC Binding Peptides and Antigenic Peptides from Ascaris lumbricoides

“…The spreading of the infection is due to soil contamination of hands or food, ingestion, and the subsequent hatching of eggs in the small intestine. The occurrence of this parasite was observed as a zoonotic infection which usually associated with pigs and use of hog manure [2] but, in most endemic areas, it is most likely transmitted from person to person [3]. The infected individuals, experience the symptoms of pneumonitis including wheezing, dyspnea, nonproductive cough, hemoptysis, and fever, and eosinophilia.…”