Definition of Roundworm

Roundworm: A type of parasitic worm that hatches in the intestines and lives there. The eggs of the roundworm usually enter the body through contaminated water or food or on fingers placed in the mouth after the hands have touched a contaminated object.

Symptoms from roundworm infections include fatigue, weight loss, irritability, poor appetite, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Treatment with medication results in a cure in about a week. Without treatment, anemia and malnutrition can develop.

Example of a roundworm: Trichuris trichiura, also called the human whipworm. This worm is found worldwide, with infections more frequent in areas with tropical weather and poor sanitation practices, and among children. Some 800 million people are infected. Trichuriasis (infection with Trichuris trichiura) is not foreign to the United States; it occurs in the southern US.

The term roundworm is in contrast to a flatworm.