In a shocking incident, a toddler in Mississippi has been diagnosed with a parasitic worm that was discovered in her diaper by her horrified mother. The two-year-old girl, who lived on a farm in New Albany in Union County, had been experiencing abdominal cramping, diarrhea, and loss of appetite for the past two weeks.

The mother made a disturbing discovery while changing her daughter's diaper - a moving worm. She quickly filmed the worm before discarding the diaper and the parasite. CDC researchers later identified the worm in the video as an Ascaris lumbricoides, a large parasitic roundworm commonly found in pigs.

Health officials believe that the toddler contracted the worm from a pig on the family farm. Ascaris parasites are known to live in the intestines and their eggs can be transmitted through feces of infected people or animals. It is suspected that the young girl may have ingested the worm eggs through soil contaminated by pig feces.

The family, originally from Mexico but residing in the US for 13 years, mentioned that the child and her twin sister sometimes consumed dirt from the house plants. If contaminated soil was used in the house plants and the toddlers consumed it, they could have ingested the worm eggs.

Ascariasis, the infection caused by Ascaris lumbricoides, often shows no symptoms, but symptoms can include abdominal discomfort or pain. It is estimated that there are around four million cases of ascariasis in the US at any given time.

Upon visiting their local pediatrician, the toddler was prescribed ivermectin, an anti-parasite drug commonly used to treat infections caused by roundworms and other parasites. No additional worms or worm eggs were found in the young girl's stool samples.

The Mississippi State Department of Health visited the family's home but found that the pigs had already been sent to slaughter. Health officials emphasized the importance of handwashing, especially after coming into contact with soil contaminated by pig feces.

The case highlights the need for proper hygiene practices and caution when dealing with potential sources of parasitic infections. Ascaris lumbricoides worms can live in humans for up to two years, while their eggs can remain viable in soil for up to 10 years.

The CDC has been closely monitoring incidents of parasitic worm infections, especially after an increase in cases of hookworms was reported in rural Alabama. Researchers have concluded that sporadic cases of ascariasis in the US are primarily linked to animals and exposure to pig-related environments or soil contaminated with pig feces.