Ultrasound Shows Worms Inside Man's Stomach - International Business Times

Posted: 24 Nov 2020 12:00 AM PST

KEY POINTS

A new report details the case of a young man who discovered he had parasites
He was diagnosed after doctors saw the worms on the ultrasound and detected eggs in his stool
The parasite infection occurs worldwide but is considered "uncommon" in the U.S.

A man who sought emergency care at a hospital found that he actually had parasites after an ultrasound revealed the worms moving in his stomach.

A report published in The New England Journal of Medicine details the case of a 20-year-old man from New Delhi, India who went to the emergency room complaining of symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. The man had no known medical conditions and was considered to be previously healthy, Live Science reported.

Eventually, the doctors found the source of his condition when they did an ultrasound to check the fluid levels in the large vein in his abdomen. They saw a "moving tubular echogenic structure in the stomach." Simply put, they saw worms moving around in his stomach.

The doctors asked the man for a stool sample and tested it. The sample later revealed Ascaris lumbricoides eggs, leading to the doctors' diagnosis of ascariasis or the infection of the human intestinal parasite Ascaris.

As Live Science explained, the man then received an anti-parasitic drug called albendazole and he was released just a day after. He eventually passed the worms in his stool and noted that he was already feeling fell during the follow-up visit after two weeks.

Common Infection

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ascariasis is the most common human worm infection. The larvae and adult Ascaris live in the intestine where it can cause intestinal disease, while the eggs are passed in the stool of infected people.

Once out of the infected person's body, the eggs can mature into a form that can infect other people. Such infections happen when people ingest the parasite, whether via contaminated hands or contaminated fruits and vegetables that haven't been washed or cooked properly, the CDC explained.

These infections typically do not present symptoms, but more severe cases can lead to intestinal blockage and even impaired growth in children. In some cases, the CDC explained, people only notice that they are infected when they pass a worm in their stool or cough it out.

"Other symptoms such as cough are due to migration of the worms through the body," the CDC said, noting that if this happens, the specimen should be brought to a health care provider.

Sanitation And Hygiene

Ascariasis infections occur worldwide, but it is considered to be "uncommon" in the U.S., the CDC said. It is more common in warmer and more humid climates, "where sanitation and hygiene are poor."

To prevent Ascariasis infections, the CDC noted the importance of not getting in contact with soil that's been fertilized using human feces. It's also important to always wash the hands properly and prepare fruits and vegetables carefully by washing, peeling and cooking them thoroughly, especially if they were grown in soil that was fertilized using human feces.

Pictured: An adult, female Ascaris lumbricoides. Photo: CDC Division of Parasitic Diseases/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain

A giant, writhing worm was spotted on a sonogram inside a man's stomach - not for the faint of heart - News24

Posted: 30 Nov 2020 12:00 AM PST

A medical case study recounts when a young man was admitted to ER with abominable pains, diarrhoea and vomiting
A sonogram showed that a giant roundworm was writhing in his stomach
With medication the infestation was killed and he passed the remains through his digestive system

Fair warning - this story will leave you feeling a little queasy.

When you hit up the emergency room with stomach pains, the last thing you think you're going to see is a giant worm having a party in your intestines.

Case study from India

That's exactly what happened to a poor 20-year-old man admitted to an emergency room in India, reports The New England Journal of Medicine. He had been suffering from vomiting, diarrhea and severe abominable pains.

His doctors conducted a sonogram on his stomach and spotted a tubular object moving around inside. You can see the unnerving video here.

They analysed his stool sample and found fertilised eggs from ascaris lumbricoides - a parasitic giant roundworm - confirming what was making its home in his insides.

Ascaris worms make their home in the intestines.

^{Left: A tubular echogenic structure that moved with a curling motion seen inside the lumen of the stomach. Right: Fertilised eggs in feaces. (Pic: The New England Journal of Medicine)}

They gave him a single, large dose of albendazole - a common treatment for parasitic worm infestations - and sent him home.

Two weeks later, he confirmed that he saw the carcases of the worms in his stool.

What is ascaris?

According to the CDC, ascaris worms make their homes in intestines and proliferate their offspring by sending their eggs through the digestive system of their host into the feaces.

This can make its way into soil, where it might catch a lift into another host on unwashed vegetables, fruits or through the dirt if it comes into contact with someone's mouth. The eggs can also be consumed through polluted water sources exposed, for example, to sewage.

You are diagnosed with ascariasis if you suffer from an infestation and in the beginning you might have very few symptoms.

Besides what the Indian man experienced, heavy infections can also block your intestines and stunt growth in children, and also cause some coughing as it moves through your body.

Is it found in South Africa?

In South Africa, ascaris can be common in under-served communities with large shack-dwellings where sewage systems aren't up to par, alongside other types of parasitic worm.

The immune response against infestations can also have a detrimental effect on people living with HIV/Aids and tuberculosis.

Now you're going to be scrubbing your fruits and vegetables a lot more thoroughly after your next grocery shop.

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