What are the key clinical features that suggest a diagnosis of helminth infection in a patient presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms?

Key clinical features suggesting helminth infection in a patient with gastrointestinal symptoms include:

• Persistent or intermittent abdominal pain, often colicky in nature, which may be accompanied by bloating and discomfort.
• Chronic or recurrent diarrhoea, which may be watery or contain mucus, sometimes with visible worms or segments in the stool.
• Associated symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and anorexia, reflecting gastrointestinal irritation or obstruction.
• Signs of malabsorption or nutritional deficiencies, including weight loss, fatigue, and in children, failure to thrive.
• Pruritus ani or perianal itching, particularly in infections like Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm).
• In some cases, visible worms in vomitus or stool, or eosinophilia on blood tests, may support the diagnosis.

These features should be considered in the context of relevant epidemiological factors such as recent travel to endemic areas, poor sanitation, or exposure to contaminated food or water. The clinical presentation can overlap with other gastrointestinal conditions, so a high index of suspicion is necessary, especially when symptoms are persistent or unexplained by common causes ¹ (Bharti et al., 2018).