Roundworm

(Ascaris lumbricoides)
Morphology, Life cycle &
Laboratory diagnosis

Morphology

Fig. Male and female roundworm

Life cycle
Life cycle of Ascaris involves only 1 host.
Natural host: Man. There is no
intermediate host.
Infective form: Embryonated eggs
Mode of transmission
Infection
occurs
when
the
egg
containing the infective rhabditiform
larva is swallowed.
Through fresh vegetables grown in fields
manured with human faeces (night soil)
Dirty fingers; in children playing in soils

 Development in soil
The eggs are resistant to adverse
conditions and can survive for several
years
The development usually takes from 10
40 days, during which time the embryo
moults twice and becomes the infective
rhabditiform larva, coiled up within the
egg.
Development in human
When the swallowed eggs reach the
duodenum, the larvae hatch out.
The rhabditiform larva, about 250 m in
length and 14m in diameter, are

 They penetrate enter the portal vessels

carried to the liver.
They then pass via the hepatic vein, inferior
vena cava,
and the right side of the
heart(4 days) lungs, where they grow and
moult twice.
The larvae pierce the lung capillaries(10-15
days)reach the alveoli carried up the
respiratory passage to the throat and are
swallowed.
The larvae moult finally develop into
adults in the upper part of the small
intestine.
Sexually mature in about 612 weeks and

Life cycle
(summary)
Egg hatch 3rd stage larvae Hepatic
portal vessels to liver (3-4 days) via
Hepatic vein Inferior venacava Right
heart Pulmonary artery Lungs (2nd
on 5th day and 3rd moulting on 10th day)
Lung alveoli Esophagus Stomach
and localize in the upper part of the small
intestine
( 4th moulting, on 25th to 29th
day of infection)

Fig. Life cycle of Ascaris

lumbricoides

Laboratory Diagnosis
Done by following methods
1. Parasitic diagnosis
a) Demonstration of adult worm
b) Demonstration of eggs
c) Demonstration of larvae
2. Serodiagnosis
3. Eosinophilia

1. Parasitic diagnosis
Demonstration of adult worms
Worm may be passed through anus,
mouth, nose and rarely through ear
Barium meal may occasionally reveal
the presence of adult worms in the small
intestine
Demonstration of eggs
Eggs may be detected in stool or
duodenal bile aspirate by direct
microscopy or after concentration of
faces

 Demonstration of larvae
Ascaris larvae may be detected in the
sputum during the stage of migration

2. Serodiagnosis
Ascaris antibody can be detected by
indirect haemagglutination (IHA) and
immunofluorescence antibody (IFA) test
These tests are useful for the diagnosis of
extra- intestinal ascariasis like Loefflers
syndrome

3. Eosinophilia

It is seen in larval invasion stage

Thank you !