This article is about the group of organisms. For the infection caused by this group of organisms, see Helminthiasis. For other uses, see Parasitic worm (disambiguation).
Eggs of different species of parasitic worm.
Parasitic worms, also known as helminths,[1] are large macroparasites; adults can generally be seen with the naked eye. Many are intestinal worms that are soil-transmitted and infect the gastrointestinal tract. Other parasitic worms such as schistosomes reside in blood vessels.
Some parasitic worms, including leeches and monogeneans, are ectoparasites – thus, they are not classified as helminths, which are endoparasites.
Parasitic worms live in and feed in living hosts. They receive nourishment and protection while disrupting their hosts' ability to absorb nutrients. This can cause weakness and disease in the host, and poses a global health and economic problem.[2] Parasitic worms cannot reproduce entirely within their host's body; they have a life cycle that includes some stages that need to take place outside of the host.[3] Helminths are able to survive in their mammalian hosts for many years due to their ability to manipulate the host's immune response by secreting immunomodulatory products.[4] All parasitic worms produce eggs during reproduction. These eggs have a strong shell that protects them against a range of environmental conditions. The eggs can therefore survive in the environment for many months or years.
Many of the worms referred to as helminths are intestinal parasites. An infection by a helminth is known as helminthiasis, helminth infection, or intestinal worm infection. There is a naming convention which applies to all helminths: the ending "-asis" (or in veterinary science: "-osis") is added at the end of the name of the worm to denote the infection with that particular worm.[citation needed] For example, Ascaris is the name of a type of helminth, and ascariasis is the name of the infection caused by that helminth.
^"CDC - Parasites - About Parasites". www.cdc.gov. 20 April 2018.
^Hildersley, Katie A.; McNeilly, Tom N.; Gillan, Victoria; Otto, Thomas D.; Löser, Stephan; Gerbe, François; Jay, Philippe; Maizels, Rick M.; Devaney, Eileen; Britton, Collette (2021). "Tuft Cells Increase Following Ovine Intestinal Parasite Infections and Define Evolutionarily Conserved and Divergent Responses". Frontiers in Immunology. 12: 781108. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2021.781108. PMC 8646091. PMID 34880874.
^"CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about parasites". CDC. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
^Jirillo, E., Magrone, T., Miragliotta, G. (2014). "Immunomodulation by Parasitic Helminths and its Therapeutic Exploitation". In: Pineda, M.A., Harnett, W. (eds.), Immune Response to Parasitic Infections (Vol. 2, pp. 175–212), Bentham eBooks, doi:10.2174/97816080598501140201, ISBN 978-1-60805-985-0.
Parasiticworms, also known as helminths, are large macroparasites; adults can generally be seen with the naked eye. Many are intestinal worms that are...
for the marine nemertean worm (bootlace worm), Lineus longissimus. Various types of worm occupy a small variety of parasitic niches, living inside the...
free-living, feeding on microorganisms, but there are many that are parasitic. The parasiticworms (helminths) are the cause of soil-transmitted helminthiases...
known as worm infection, is any macroparasitic disease of humans and other animals in which a part of the body is infected with parasiticworms, known as...
Ascaris is a nematode genus of parasiticworms known as the "small intestinal roundworms", which is a type of parasiticworm. One species, Ascaris lumbricoides...
The effects of parasiticworms, or helminths, on the immune system is a recently emerging topic of study among immunologists and other biologists. Experiments...
of parasiticworms in many animals ranging from fish to domesticated animals and humans. Among the most extensively documented was the Bladder Worm (Taenia...
lumbricoides is a large parasiticworm that causes ascariasis in humans. A roundworm of genus Ascaris, it is the most common parasiticworm in humans. An estimated...
(threadworm infection in the UK), also known as enterobiasis, is a human parasitic disease caused by the pinworm, Enterobius vermicularis. The most common...
known as horsehair worms, hairsnakes, or Gordian worms) are a phylum of parasitoid animals superficially similar to nematode worms in morphology, hence...
blowflies), and it does not contain the most hardy of pathogens, such as parasiticworm eggs. Animal carcasses may be composted as a disposal option. Such material...
children (half of the children in the world) are at risk of parasiticworm infection. Worm infections interfere with nutrient uptake, can lead to anemia...
an earlier age. If on the other hand the drugs mainly affects adult parasiticworms, selection could cause delayed maturity and increased virulence. Such...
term elephantiasis is often used in reference to (symptoms caused by) parasiticworm infections, but may refer to a variety of diseases that swell parts...
Cestoda is a class of parasiticworms in the flatworm phylum (Platyhelminthes). Most of the species—and the best-known—are those in the subclass Eucestoda;...
to treat a number of parasiticworm infestations. This includes ascariasis, pinworm infection, hookworm infections, guinea worm infections, hydatid disease...
kephale 'head') is a group of parasiticworms known as acanthocephalans, thorny-headed worms, or spiny-headed worms, characterized by the presence of...
Sea worm may refer to one or several of the following taxa: Marine worm This page is an index of articles on animal species (or higher taxonomic groups)...
fungi, and parasites. Mostly the parasites are parasiticworms, but can also rarely include parasitic amoebae. Meningitis may also result from various...
Pyrantel is a medication used to treat a number of parasiticworm infections. This includes ascariasis, hookworm infections, enterobiasis (pinworm infection)...
Blood worm or bloodworm is an ambiguous term and can refer to: Larvae of a non-biting midge (family Chironomidae) containing hemoglobin Glycera (annelid)...
ingestion, the worm nourishes upon its host and fills the entire body cavity of the cricket, until maturation, when the parasiticworm is ready to exit...
Dracunculus medinensis (Guinea worm, dragon worm, fiery serpent) is a nematode that causes dracunculiasis, also known as guinea worm disease. The disease is...
have become more widespread, may result from a lack of exposure to parasiticworms (helminths) during childhood. The use of Trichuris suis ova (TSO, or...
Anthelmintics or antihelminthics are a group of antiparasitic drugs that expel parasiticworms (helminths) and other internal parasites from the body by either stunning...
Clonorchis sinensis (the Chinese liver fluke) Dracunculus medinensis (Guinea worm) Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm) Filariasis Hookworm Loa loa Onchocerciasis...
Global Information