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    Hookworm infections affect about 1 billion people -- about one-fifth of the world's population. Hookworm eggs require warm, moist, shaded soil to hatch into larvae. Larvae develop into half-inch-long worms, attach themselves to intestinal wall.

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    Hookworm infections affect about 1 billion people -- about one-fifth of the world's population. Hookworm eggs require warm, moist, shaded soil to hatch into larvae. Larvae develop into half-inch-long worms, attach themselves to intestinal wall.

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    80 views2 pages

    Ancylostoma Infection

    Uploaded by

    navina01
    Hookworm infections affect about 1 billion people -- about one-fifth of the world's population. Hookworm eggs require warm, moist, shaded soil to hatch into larvae. Larvae develop into half-inch-long worms, attach themselves to intestinal wall.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    Ancylostoma infection: Hookworm, an intestinal parasite that usually causes

    diarrhea or cramps. Heavy infestation with hookworm can be serious for newborns,
    children, pregnant women, and persons who are malnourished. Hookworm
    infections occur mainly in tropical and subtropical climates and affect about 1
    billion people -- about one-fifth of the world's population. One of the most
    common species of hookworm, Ancylostoma duodenale, is found in southern
    Europe, northern Africa, northern Asia, and parts of South America. A second
    species, Necator americanus, was once widespread in the southeastern US early in
    the 20th century.

    Hookworms have a complex life cycle that begins and ends in the small intestine.
    Hookworm eggs require warm, moist, shaded soil to hatch into larvae. These
    barely visible larvae penetrate the skin (often through bare feet), are carried to the
    lungs, go through the respiratory tract to the mouth, are swallowed, and eventually
    reach the small intestine. This journey takes about a week. In the small intestine,
    the larvae develop into half-inch-long worms, attach themselves to the intestinal
    wall, and suck blood. The adult worms produce thousands of eggs. These eggs are
    passed in the feces (stool). If the eggs contaminate soil and conditions are right,
    they will hatch, molt, and develop into infective larvae again after 5 to 10 days.

    Hookworm infection is contracted from contact with soil contaminated by


    hookworm, by walking barefoot or accidentally swallowing contaminated soil.
    Children -- because they play in dirt and often go barefoot -- are at high risk. Since
    transmission of hookworm infection requires development of the larvae in soil,
    hookworm cannot be spread person to person.

    Chronic heavy hookworm infection can damage the growth and development of
    children. The loss of iron and protein retards growth and mental development,
    sometimes irreversibly. The first signs of hookworm infection are itching and a
    rash at the site where the larvae penetrate the skin. These signs may be followed by
    abdominal pain, diarrhea, loss of appetite and weight loss, and anemia. Hookworm
    can also cause difficulty breathing, enlargement of the heart, and irregular
    heartbeat. Hookworm infection have been known to be fatal, particularly in infants.

    The diagnosis is by identifying hookworm eggs in a stool sample. In countries


    where hookworm is common and reinfection is likely, light infections are often not
    treated. In the US, hookworm infections are generally treated for 1-3 days. The
    drugs are effective and appear to have few side effects. Another stool exam should
    be repeated 1 to 2 weeks after therapy. If the infection is still present, treatment is
    repeated. Iron supplements are in order with anemia.
    People infected with hookworm are half as likely to have asthma as those without
    it, in keeping with the hygiene hypothesis of asthma -- the theory that because of
    better hygiene, people today tend to get fewer infections so they are at greater risk
    of allergic conditions such as asthma.

    To prevent hookworm, do not walk barefoot or contact the soil with bare hands in
    areas where hookworm is common or there are likely to be feces in the soil or
    sand.

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