Geohelminth 4146284 164955274 2007-10-16T14:22:17Z Cydebot 1215485 Robot - Moving category Roundworms to Nematodes per [[WP:CFD|CFD]] at [[Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2007 October 10]]. '''Geohelminths''' are soil-transmitted [[parasite|parasitic]] [[nematode]]s with a life cycle that involves no intermediate hosts or vectors: they infect many animals, including humans, and are spread by the faecal contamination of soil, foods and water. Most species have juvenile forms which move around the body of the host, but all species inhabit the intestine in their adult stages and release their eggs in the host's faeces. The diseases they cause can thus be local or systemic. Four species cause widespread disease in humans: ''[[Ascaris lumbricoides]]'' (the large roundworm, which causes [[ascariasis]]), ''[[Trichuris trichiura]]'' (the whipworm, which causes [[trichuriasis]]), and the blood-feeding [[hookworm]]s ''[[Ancylostoma duodenale]]'' and ''[[Necator americanus]]'', which cause [[ankylostomiasis]]. Geohelminth infection is a major health problem of children from rural areas of developing countries like [[India]]. It is an important cause of morbidity in school age children who harbour the highest intensity of worm infestation. Some of the significant morbidity attributed to intestinal [[helminthiasis]] is malnutrition, growth retardation, [[anemia]], [[Nyctalopia|vitamin A deficiency]] and impaired intellectual performance. Thus, [[hookworm]] poses a serious threat to developing countries trying to raise their level of education. [[Category:Nematodes]]