Definition

1. Noun:
   • Infestation of the body with parasitic worms: A medical condition characterized by the presence of parasitic worms (helminths) inside the body. These worms can live in the intestines, blood, tissues, or other organs, often causing illness.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The doctor diagnosed the child with helminthiasis after finding eggs in the stool sample.
  • Mass drug administration is a common strategy to control helminthiasis in endemic regions.
  • Poor sanitation is a major risk factor for helminthiasis.

Advanced Usage

• Soil-transmitted helminthiasis: Refers specifically to infections caused by parasitic worms whose eggs are passed in human feces and contaminate soil in areas with poor sanitation.

  • The World Health Organization targets soil-transmitted helminthiasis for control and elimination.

• Intestinal helminthiasis: Specifies an infestation located within the intestines.

  • The symptoms of intestinal helminthiasis can include abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Variants and Related Words

• Helminth (n): A parasitic worm; the causative agent of helminthiasis.

  • Roundworms and tapeworms are types of helminths.

• Helminthic (adj): Pertaining to or caused by parasitic worms.

  • The patient received a helminthic treatment.

• Anthelmintic (n/adj): (A substance) used to destroy parasitic worms.

  • The doctor prescribed an anthelmintic drug.

Synonyms

• Worm infestation: A more general, non-technical term.
• Parasitic worm infection: A descriptive synonym.

Related Phrases

• Burden of helminthiasis: Often used in public health to describe the impact of these diseases on a population.
  • The global burden of helminthiasis remains high in many developing countries.

Notes

• Technical Term: "Helminthiasis" is primarily a medical and scientific term. In everyday conversation, people are more likely to refer to a specific type of worm infection (e.g., "tapeworm infection" or "roundworms").
• Plural Form: The plural is helminthiases (pronounced /ˌhɛlmɪnˈθaɪəsiːz/), though the singular form is often used even when discussing the category of diseases collectively.

Noun

1. infestation of the body with parasitic worms