Experiment #4
How can the presence of Ascaris lumbricoides and Enterobius vermicularis be diagnosed?
Stool tests - Mature female ascariasis worms in your intestine begin laying eggs. These eggs travel
through your digestive system and eventually can be found in your stool.
Blood tests - Your blood can be tested for the presence of an increased number of a certain type of
white blood cell, called eosinophils
Imaging tests – Xray, Ultrasound, CT scans
Enterobius can be diagnosed through a cellophane tape test. The examination might reveal
characteristic ova which are 50 by 30 microns in size and have a flattened surface on one side or may
reveal the worms.
What are the possible complications of Enterobiasis?
Pinworms can occasionally cause a superficial bacterial infection at the scratching sites. Other
complications reported include female genitourinary infections (e.g., vulvovaginitis), urinary tract
infections in young girls, and appendicitis if you have had a longstanding infestation of pinworms.
How are ascariasis and enterobiasis treated and controlled?
Ascariasis - Anthelminthic medications (drugs that rid the body of parasitic worms), such as albendazole
and mebendazole, are the drugs of choice for treatment. Infections are generally treated for 1-3 days.
The recommended medications are effective.
Enterobiasis - The medications used for the treatment of pinworm are either mebendazole, pyrantel
pamoate, or albendazole. Any of these drugs are given in one dose initially, and then another single dose
of the same drug two weeks later.
Experiment #5
3. How are Taenia saginata and Fasciola hepatica treated and controlled?
Triclabendazole is a benzimidazole compound that's active against Fasciola parasites in both immature
and adult forms. It can be used to treat fascioliasis by giving it orally, with food, for better absorption.
Praziquantel is the medication most often used to treat active taeniasis, given at 5-10 mg/kg orally once
for adults and 5-10 mg/kg orally once for children.
Alternatives:
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Niclosamide
Albendazole