A four-year-old boy from Cameroon in West Africa who was admitted to hospital due to constipation, was found to be infested with hundreds of worms in his stomach. His parents took him to hospital after he complained about acute stomach pain and trouble in moving bowels. On investigation, doctors found out dozens of live worms inside his stomach. According to an article published in the Journal of Medical Case Reports, he has been experiencing bloating for around six months. He was diagnosed with ascariasis, a parasitic worm infection in the small intestine. Medics had to conduct an operation to remove the bundles of worms from his abdomen. Ball of Hair Removed From Ahmedabad Girl’s Stomach; All About Rapunzel Syndrome or Trichophagia – The Hair-Eating Disease.

Doctors have presented the case from last year as a renewed call for more funding in soil-transmitted helminthiasis in Cameroon. The team of doctors led by Dr Valirie Ndip Agbor, extracted the "bundles of live worms" through a small incision in the boy's intestine. They said that if the worms had not been removed it could have led to problems like malnutrition, stunted growth and poor memory. Chinese Girl Suffers From Constipation; Doctors Find 100 Undigested Bubble Tea Pearls in Her Stomach.

The  Journal of Medical Case Reports explains the parasitic infection as,

"Ascariasis is the leading helminthic infection worldwide, with its peak prevalence noted in children aged 2–10 years. Although mainly asymptomatic, the chronic and heavy infestation could lead to severe complications such as malnutrition, poor physical and cognitive development, as well as intestinal obstruction."

Doctors say that the worms could have entered his body through the soil present on his fingers when he ate. They also said that he had no history of de-worming since birth which made him prone to the parasite.  A week after the boy's surgery, he and his family were given de-worming tablets.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 14, 2019 03:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).