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What is hookworm?
Hookworms are one-half inch-long parasites that cause injury by producing intestinal blood loss. The infection is contracted through skin contact with parasite larvae living in moist soil. The larvae have the ability to penetrate skin, frequently entering the body through the hands, feet, arms, and legs. In some cases the larvae can be ingested. The adult hookworm attaches to the intestinal wall by hooks in its mouth and consumes blood from the host. It secretes anti-coagulants to the attachment site to prevent blood clotting. The worm remains in one spot for a few days, then releases and moves to a fresh patch from which to feed. Blood loss occurs both from worm consumption as well as from continued bleeding at the neglected attachment sites. The Hookworm Life Cycle can be viewed here . What impact does hookworm have on the developing world? An estimated 576 million people in the developing nations of the tropics are infected with hookworm. Infection can lead to blood loss in the intestines where the worms feed, resulting in iron deficiency anemia. Children and pregnant women are at an increased risk for this. Anemia, in turn, is associated with low birthweight, tiredness, and other health consequences. In children, infection with hookworm and other helminths is associated with poor school performance. This is why vaccines for hookworm and other similar infections are often referred to as "Antipoverty Vaccines" -- a vaccine for the world's poorest children would protect against an infection that actually damages children's ability to perform in school and contributes to the conditions that foster infection in the first place.
Where are Hookworm found? (see a map of hookworm distribution here)
The worms are found throughout the world, typically in warm, moist subtropical or tropical regions. Two species infect humans, Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus, which exist in overlapping regions. N. americanus is distributed throughout the Americas, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia; A. duodenale is distributed in southern Europe, parts of South America, and northern Africa and Asia.
How do I know if I have hookworm?
Symptoms of hookworm infection include itching and rash where the skin touched the soil. This is from the penetration of the larvae through the skin. Light infections may not have symptoms, though heavy infections may cause anemia, diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, and loss of appetite.
What do I do if I have hookworm?
Currently, Hookworm is treated by deworming with the drugs Mebendazole (Vermox), Albendazole (Albania), Pyrantel pamoate (Antiminth, Pin-X).
How do I protect myself from Hookworm? Avoid soil contamination by practicing sanitary disposal of feces and wearing shoes in endemic areas. More Information on Hookworm can be found on these websites: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/hookworm/factsht_hookworm.htm
http://www.who.int/vaccine_research/diseases/soa_parasitic/en/index2.html
http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/HTML/ImageLibrary/Hookworm_il.htm |
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