This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages without signing in

Helminthic diseases

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

A significant proportion of the world's population is infected with parasitic helminths (worms). These are catogorised into three groups: nematodes (roundworms), cestodes (tapeworms) and trematodes (flukes). It is estimated that over 800 million people have trichiuriasis (whipworm) and over 1 billion people have ascariasis (roundworm).

Endemic helminthic diseases in the UK:

  • threadworm
  • whipworm
  • toxocara canis
  • dwarf tapeworm
  • echinococcosis (hydatid disease) is acquired following the ingestion of eggs shed in the faeces of dogs infected with the dog tapeworm (Echinococcus granulosus) and is found in certain areas of Wales

A common characteristic of helminthic diseases is the complex lifecycle with adults, embryos and larvae living in different environments. Life cycles vary from three weeks to three months.


Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.