VHOSPITAL.CLINIC · Parasite-Related Symptom
Dry, irritating cough — often accompanied by wheezing and shortness of breath — occurs during larval Ascaris migration through the lungs (Loeffler syndrome). This transient pulmonary phase occurs 4–16 days after ingesting embryonated eggs.
Ascaris larvae hatch in the small intestine, penetrate the intestinal wall, enter the portal circulation, pass through the liver and reach the pulmonary capillaries. As they rupture into alveoli, they provoke an eosinophilic inflammatory reaction — Loeffler syndrome — causing the transient pulmonary infiltrates and cough.
Cough rarely appears alone. Ascariasis also commonly causes:
Confirming Ascariasis as the cause:
Loeffler syndrome lasts 1–2 weeks as larvae complete their lung migration. The cough resolves spontaneously in most cases, though albendazole treatment is still recommended to eliminate the intestinal adult worm burden.
Yes. Loeffler syndrome can mimic asthma (wheezing, eosinophilia) or atypical pneumonia (cough, transient infiltrates on X-ray). The key distinguishing feature is transient migratory pulmonary infiltrates with peripheral eosinophilia.
No. Ascariasis is not transmitted person-to-person. The larvae swallowed during coughing re-enter the digestive tract to become adult worms — this is part of the normal life cycle, not a public health risk to bystanders.
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