Parasitic diseases are common in the eastern Kentucky Appalachian region. This is one of the topics of a report in June 2008 PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
The diseases mentioned, Strongyloidiasis and Ascariasis, are parasitic nematode infections!
Strongyloides stercoralis
Ascaris lumbricoides
Here is a diagram of the Strongyloides lifecycle from the CDC:
And the Ascaris lifecycle. The Ascaris worms are huge, 20-49 cm long!
