Microscope image of an Ascaris suum egg from a pig fecal sample.

Ascaris suum egg recovered from a pig fecal sample.

Creator: Strongyle

Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0

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Species record

Pig Roundworm

Ascaris suum

Explore the Pig Roundworm (Ascaris suum) species record in The Ark Is Earth, including classification, habitat, distribution, conservation information, and sources.

Summary

Ascaris suum is a roundworm that lives in the intestines of pigs and is reported from pig populations around the world. Worm eggs pass out in manure and need days to weeks in the environment to become infective. Pigs, and sometimes people, can become infected by swallowing eggs from contaminated soil or food.

Classification in this archive

  1. Kingdom: Animals
  2. Phylum: Roundworms
  3. Class: Chromadorean roundworms
  4. Order: Ascaridida
  5. Family: Ascarididae
  6. Genus: Ascaris

Habitat and distribution

Selected documented locations — not a complete species range.

Habitat
pig intestine, manure-contaminated soil, pig pens and pastures
Selected regions
Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America

Conservation status

Conservation status not recorded.

Did you know?

  • Pig roundworm eggs need time outside the animal before they can infect another host.

Sources and attribution