The Ascarididae are a family of the large intestinal
roundworms
The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), with plant-parasitic nematodes also known as eelworms. They are a diverse animal phylum inhabiting a broa ...
. Members of the family are
intestinal parasites
An intestinal parasite infection is a condition in which a parasite infects the gastro-intestinal tract of humans and other animals. Such parasites can live anywhere in the body, but most prefer the intestinal wall.
Routes of exposure and infe ...
, infecting all
classes of
vertebrate
Vertebrates () comprise all animal taxa within the subphylum Vertebrata () ( chordates with backbones), including all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Vertebrates represent the overwhelming majority of the phylum Chordata, ...
s. It includes a number of
genera
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...
,
[Anderson RC (2000)]
''Nematode Parasites of Vertebrates. Their Development and Transmission, 2nd ed.''
CAB International, Wallingford, Oxon, UK, pp. 245-315. the most well known of which are:
*''
Amplicaecum''
*''
Angusticaecum''
*''
Ascaris
''Ascaris'' is a genus of parasite, parasitic nematode worms known as the "small intestinal roundworms", which is a type of parasitic worm. One species, ''Ascaris lumbricoides'', affects humans and causes the disease ascariasis. Another species ...
''
*†''
Ascarites'' (fossil)
[Poinar Jr, G. and Boucot, A. J. (2006) Evidence of intestinal parasites of dinosaurs. ''Parasitology'', 133: 245-249.]
*''
Baylisascaris
''Baylisascaris'' is a genus of roundworms that infect more than fifty animal species.
Life cycle
''Baylisascaris'' eggs are passed in feces and become active within a month. They can remain viable in the environment for years, withstanding h ...
''
*''
Crossophorus''
*''
Dujardinascaris''
*''
Hexametra
''Hexametra'' is a genus of nematodes belonging to the family Ascarididae.
The genus has almost cosmopolitan distribution.
Species:
*''Hexametra boddaertii''
*''Hexametra bozkovi''
*''Hexametra quadricornis''
References
{{Taxonbar, fr ...
''
*''
Lagochilascaris''
*''
Ophidascaris''
*''
Parascaris
''Parascaris'' is a genus of nematodes in the family Ascarididae
The Ascarididae are a family of the large intestinal nematoda, roundworms. Members of the family are intestinal parasites, infecting all class (biology), classes of vertebrates. I ...
''
*''
Polydelphis''
*''
Seuratascaris''
[ ]
*''
Toxascaris
''Toxascaris leonina'' is a common parasitic roundworm found in dogs, cats, foxes, and related host species. ''T. leonina'' is an ascarid nematode, a worldwide distributed helminth parasite which is in a division of eukaryotic parasites that, ...
''
*''
Toxocara
The Toxocaridae are a zoonotic family of parasitic nematodes that infect canids and felids and which cause toxocariasis in humans ( visceral larva migrans and ocular larva migrans). The worms are unable to reproduce in humans.
Notable species i ...
''
*''
Travassoascaris''
''
Ascaris lumbricoides
''Ascaris lumbricoides'' is a large parasitic worm that causes ascariasis in humans. A Nematoda, roundworm of genus ''Ascaris'', it is the most common parasitic worm in humans. An estimated one-sixth of the human population is at some point infe ...
'' is the main ascarid parasite of humans, causing
ascariasis
Ascariasis is a disease caused by the parasitic roundworm ''Ascaris lumbricoides''. Infections have no symptoms in more than 85% of cases, especially if the number of worms is small. Symptoms increase with the number of worms present and may in ...
.
References
External links
ZipcodeZooUniprot TaxonomyBioLibTAMUThe Taxonomicon
Parasitic nematodes of vertebrates
Nematode families
Ascaridida
{{Parasitic animal-stub