ABSTRACT
This chapter provides state-of-the-art overviews on foodborne diseases caused by Ascaris in relation to their etiology, biology, epidemiology, clinical presentation, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. The genus Ascaris contains several large intestinal roundworms belonging to the order Ascaridida, which covers taxonomical families that occur in a broad range of hosts worldwide, such as fishes, reptiles, birds, and mammals, including humans. The disease caused by Ascaris spp. is well known from the past. A comprehensive review on the genetic variation at regional and global scales and implications on epidemiological and transmission patterns was provided. Local-scale analyses of Ascaris roundworms have often shown contrasting results, for instance, a tree where the two clusters A and B depicted a strong influence of host affiliation, in analyzing samples from Guatemala. Genetic analyses of Ascaris population may help in defining the existence of focal transmissions.
