Title: Parasitic worm - Wikipedia
Headings: Parasitic worm
Parasitic worm
Contents
Taxonomy
Reproduction and life cycle
Eggs
Larvae
Use in medicine
Levels of infectiousness
Sanitation
Removal versus inactivation in wastewater and sludge treatment
Indicator organism
Diagnosis
Environmental samples
Human stool samples
See also
References
Further reading
External links

Content: Ascaris lumbricoides
Helminths are a group of organisms which share a similar form but are not necessarily related as part of evolution. The term "helminth" is an artificial term. There is no real consensus on the taxonomy (or groupings) of the helminths, particularly within the nematodes. The term "helminth" contains a number of phyla, many of which are completely unrelated. However, for practical considerations the term is currently used to describe four phyla with superficial similarities: Annelida (ringed or segmented worms), Platyhelminthes ( flatworms ), Nematoda (roundworms), and Acanthocephala (thorny-headed worms). The phylum Platyhelminthes includes two classes of worms of particular medical significance: the cestodes (tapeworms) and the trematodes (flukes and blood flukes ), depending on whether or not they have segmented bodies. There may be as many as 300,000 species of parasites affecting vertebrates, and as many as 300 affecting humans alone. Helminths of importance in the sanitation field are the human parasites, and are classified as Nemathelminthes (nematodes) and Platyhelminthes, depending on whether they possess a round or flattened body, respectively.