ABSTRACT
Ascaris lumbricoides, the large intestinal roundworm of humans, constitutes a global health hazard. More than a billion people are estimated to be affected with ascariasis, an infection of the small intestine triggered by roundworm infestation (Stephenson 1987:3). Typically, the disease is contracted by ingestion of infective eggs from soil contaminated with human feces or uncooked vegetables contaminated with soil containing infective eggs. Worldwide dimensions of helminthic infection points to serious repercussions on the health and the nutritional status of rural and urban communities in developing countries (Holland 1991; Stephenson 1994). Specifically, worm burden has been blamed for impaired learning abilities in children (Kvalsvig, Cooppan, and Connolly 1991; Nokes and Bundy 1994) and the loss of productivity in adults (Morrow 1984).
