Question

Which of the following is not a symptom of Ascariasis ?

• A. Intestinal blockage
• B. Muscular pain and fever
• C. Anaemia
• D. Skin ulcers

Hint:

Think of Ascaris as a giant intestinal roundworm. Because it lives inside the digestive tract, its major symptoms are internal—such as abdominal pain, bleeding, anemia, and intestinal blockages—rather than superficial skin lesions.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks us to identify which clinical sign or symptom listed among the choices is not caused by an infection of the roundworm parasite Ascaris lumbricoides.

Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
Ascariasis is a parasitic infection of the human gastrointestinal tract caused by the common intestinal roundworm, Ascaris lumbricoides, which belongs to the phylum Aschelminthes.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Let's review how Ascaris spreads and affects the body:
Eggs excreted with the feces of an infected individual contaminate soil, water, and crops. Healthy individuals ingest these eggs by consuming contaminated food or water.
Once inside the human host, the larvae hatch in the small intestine, pass through the intestinal wall, and migrate via the portal circulatory system through the liver and lungs before returning to the small intestine to mature into large adult worms.
The clinical symptoms of a heavy Ascaris infection include:
* Internal bleeding and Anaemia (Option C): The worms feed on the host's intestinal tissue and blood, which can lead to nutritional deficiencies and microcytic anemia.
* Muscular pain and fever (Option B): The migration of larvae through bodily tissues triggers systemic inflammatory responses, causing low-grade fever and muscle aches.
* Intestinal blockage (Option A): Because adult worms can grow up to 30 cm long, a dense mass of entangled worms can physically block the lumen of the small intestine, requiring emergency surgery.
Skin ulcers (Option D):Ascaris lumbricoides* is strictly an internal parasite of the gut and visceral organs. It does not burrow into or colonize cutaneous skin tissue to cause open sores or skin ulcers. Skin ulcers are typical of cutaneous leishmaniasis or certain bacterial infections, not ascariasis.

Step 4: Final Answer:
Since skin ulcers are not a symptom of Ascariasis, option (D) is the correct answer.