No symptoms or signs are specific for hookworm infection, but they give rise to a combination of intestinal inflammation and progressive iron-deficiency anemia and protein deficiency. 9.3 Hygiene hypothesis and hookworm as therapy.Hookworm infection is a soil-transmitted helminthiasis and classified as a neglected tropical disease. Heavy infections can occur in both children and adults, but are less common in adults. Hookworms infected about 428 million people in 2015. Iron supplements may be needed in those with anemia. Treatment is typically with the medications albendazole or mebendazole for one to three days. At a population level, decreasing outdoor defecation, not using raw feces as fertilizer, and mass deworming is effective. The disease can be prevented on an individual level by not walking barefoot in areas where the disease is common. Diagnosis is by examination of a stool sample with a microscope. Risk factors include walking barefoot in warm climates, where sanitation is poor. One type can also be spread through contaminated food. If these end up in the environment, they can hatch into larvae (immature worms), which can then penetrate the skin. Hookworm eggs are deposited in the stools of infected people. Two common hookworm infections in humans are ancylostomiasis and necatoriasis, caused by the species Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus respectively. The mental and physical development of children may be affected. Those infected by many worms may experience abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and tiredness. Those only affected by a few worms may show no symptoms. Initially, itching and a rash may occur at the site of infection. Hookworm infection is an infection by a type of intestinal parasite known as a hookworm. Not walking barefoot, stopping outdoor defecation Īlbendazole, mebendazole, iron supplements Walking barefoot in warm climates with poor sanitation This is especially important when you might come in contact with animal feces from pets whose health conditions are unknown, such as at a park.Itchiness, localized rash, abdominal pain, diarrhea Īncylostoma duodenale (old world hookworm), Necator americanus (new world hookworm) Also, avoid walking barefoot in areas where pets leave feces. To reduce your risk, make sure your pets are vaccinated and dewormed by your veterinarian. You can also get it by accidentally eating contaminated soil. You can get a hookworm infection by touching contaminated dirt with your bare hands or feet. The eggs and larvae are found in the dirt where your pet leaves stool. The eggs are passed in your pet’s stool and hatch into larvae. You won’t get it from petting your dog or cat. If your pet has an infection, you can get it indirectly. Hookworm infections can occur in pets, especially puppies and kittens. People who live in warm climates in areas with poor hygiene and sanitation are more at risk of developing hookworm infections. Fully grown, they can live in your small intestine for a year or more before passing through your feces. They are carried to your small intestine when you cough them out of the lung and swallow. The larvae enter your skin, travel through your bloodstream, and enter your lungs. You can become infected with hookworms by coming into contact with soil that contains their larvae. They hatch into larvae, which stay in the soil until they have a chance to break through human skin. The eggs of these hookworms end up on the ground after passing through human feces. The two major types of hookworms that cause infection are Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale. Parasitic hookworms cause these infections.