How can we deal with the PH worm problem?

Common worm infestations to be on the lookout for

- DR. EDSEL MAURICE T. SALVANA

A few weeks ago, I was taking care of a patient in the intensive care unit who was using a ventilator when the resident on duty informed me that there was something in the breathing tube.

Looking closely, there was a wriggling, flesh colored worm which we promptly fished out and sent to the laboratory. The laboratory identified the worm as Ascaris lumbricoides, a common roundworm that infects humans.

Worm or helminthic infections affect 25 percent of the world's population, mostly in subtropical and tropical areas in resource-limited settings. The Philippines has a significant worm burden disproportionately affecting children in slum areas and rural communities. Worms can cause malnutrition, stunting, and even death with severe infections. Worm infestations, especially those that are transmitted through eggs in the soil, are usually a marker of poor sanitation and hygiene, although even affluent communities can get infected if there are infectious carriers.