Invisible and overlooked: The hidden toll of intestinal worms and bilharzia

Ascaris lumbricoides, which inhabit the human intestine and cause the disease ascariasis.[iStockphoto]

In Luhulu Village, Sabatia Constituency, Vihiga County, three-year-old Shanice Masiza plays cheerfully outside her family’s home, a picture of health that belies the painful ordeal she endured just months ago.

Her mother, Sharon Kaveza, recalls the difficult period when Shanice suffered from soil-transmitted helminths (STH), commonly known as intestinal worms and locally as minyoo.