Study on the quantitative evaluation of reinfection of Ascaris lumbricoides

The present study was undertaken to determine whether an analysis of the collected worms after chemotherapy with pyrantel pamoate could be used as a method measuring the amount of reinfection of Ascaris lumbricoides in a given population. A total of 398 cases from two villages and one primary school were treated with pyrantel pamoate with dose of 10 mg/kg of body weight. The whole two-day stool specimens after treatment were examined. Out of 279 followed cases, 110 cases (39.4%) were found infected with A. lumbricoides. A total of 527 worms were collected, they were in the range of 1.2 to 32.5 cm in length and 0.0004 to 7.424 gm in weight. The measurements were made on the specimens fixed with 10% formalin. The relationship between the number of worms per positive case(X) and the total weight of worms(Y) showed the positive linear regression; this was expressed by the equation, Y= 2.012X + 1.135 (Sy=4.84, r=0.92). From the above results, it seems that worms of small size may not be considered as a product of crowding effect in heavy infections. The relation between the weight(Y) and length(X) of collected A. lumbricoides was expressed as an equation, Log(e)Y=3.032 log(e)X-8.2903(S.E. of reg. coeff.= 0.040, r=0.957). In the intestinal phase of development, the first increase of the length of the worm, up to 10~12 cm was observed and this followed by the well marked increase of weight from 13 cm upto 32.5 cm in the sexually maturing phase. A total of 285 schoolchildren were treated by pyrantel pamoate, 10 mg/kg of body weight three times each in two months interval. After the second and third treatment, thirteen and fifty-four worms were collected respectively. They were measured in length and weight and were all in the range of 1.2 to 13.2 cm in length and 0.0006 to 0.436 gm in weight except 3 fully matured adults. It is assumed that these young worms, defined as those less than 0.5 gm in weight and less than 13 cm in length should be regarded as those having reinfected during the previous two months period. From this observation, it was possible to calculate the reinfected number of young worms. Therefore, it is suggested that the average number of Ascaris per month per person means the reinfection amount in a certain period of time in an endemic area of A. lumbricoides. In other words, reinfection amount may be expressed by the calculated figure of young worms reinfected in a certain period of time in a population.