Deworming: Not Only Meant for Children

As adults, we have the tendency to forget just how equally susceptible we are to infections and put all our efforts into protecting our vulnerable children. A couple of weeks ago, I fell ill and went for a consultation where I was asked when I last took a deworming medicine. Have you ever stared at someone as if they were speaking in tongues? Yes, that was me.

From my reaction, I had not been dewormed in years. I honestly do not recall the last time I took a dewormer medicine. It was at the doctor’s office where I got confirmation that deworming was not only meant for children but also for adults.

For those in endemic countries, deworming has been a vital public health intervention in treating worm infections. Deworming is the removal of intestinal or parasitic worms from the body by administering anthelmintic medicines such as ivermectin, albendazole, and mebendazole, just to name a few [1].

Deworming is a periodic treatment required for children and adults (1 year old and above) [1]. In children, deworming is recommended every three months, and for adults, once or twice a year is recommended. Some of the most common worms that infect both children and adults are roundworms, tapeworms, threadworms, hookworms, and so on [2].

We get intestinal worms in our bodies through ingesting contaminated food, drinking contaminated water, swimming in untreated water in public swimming pools, poor hygiene, and walking barefoot on unsanitary soil [2]. Deworming is vital for improving health (malnutrition, anaemia, stunted growth) and nutritional uptake [1].

Most people can go for years without showing any signs or symptoms of worm infection. Without deworming, these worms could be living in our guts, feeding, growing, and multiplying. Leaving worm infections untreated could lead to severe health complications.

While many campaigns and programs promote deworming in children, more awareness of deworming in adults is needed.

References

1. WHO publishes recommendations for large-scale deworming to improve children’s health and nutrition. (2017). Retrieved 13 April 2022, from https://www.who.int/news/item/29-09-2017-who-publishes-recommendations-for-large-scale-deworming-to-improve-children-s-health-and-nutrition

2. Johnson, J. (2020). Intestinal worms: Pictures, symptoms, and treatment. Retrieved 13 April 2022, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324042#_noHeaderPrefixedContent

3. Image Credit: https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/parasitic-worms-in-human-small-intestine-gm1290826455-386112653