Ascarid suum (Pig Pinworm)

Roundworm—Ascaris causes Ascariasis. The pig roundworm, passed through feces, is called Ascaris suum and can be passed to humans.

Symptoms of Ascarid infection include respiratory distress, coughing, fever, colic, vomiting and diarrhea.

Ascarid suum egg

People working around swine are very susceptible and if vegetables are not washed thoroughly a person can ingest the eggs and be host to the adult worms. A similar organism is found in the clouded leopard and causes subcutaneous abscesses in humans.

I tried to find a photo on the internet of a pig with a roundworm coming out the anus because there is just nothing that makes such a massive impression as this. I used to live at a swine facility in my undergraduate days and let me tell you this one is gross! But this was the only representative sample that I could find. Sorry! These suckers are just huge.

Ascaris suum adult

Picture Reference: http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/images/wiki/wikipedia/commons/thumb

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