Helminthiasis (alternatively spelled
helminthosis; plural
helminthiases), also known as
helminth infection or
worm infection, is any
macroparasitic disease of humans and other animals in which a part of the body is infected with
parasitic worms (helminths). These
parasites are broadly classified into
tapeworms,
flukes, and
roundworms. They often live in the
gastrointestinal tract of their
hosts, but may also burrow into other
organs, where they induce physiological damage.