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Causative Agent
Ancylostoma duodenale
MATURES IN THE SMALL INTESTINE, typically the distal jejunum
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Division
nematode (roundworm)
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Signs and Symptoms
- 1. Commonly asymptomatic.
- 2. Abdominal pain
- 3. Nausea
- 4. Anorexia
- 5. Iron deficiency anemia caused by blood loss at the site of intestinal attachment of adult worms.
- 5. Urticarial dermal reaction (“ground itch”) associated with filariform (L3) larvae penetration, and respiratory involvement including eosinophilic pneumonia.
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Intermediate Host
No Intermediate host indicated.
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Definitive Host
Humans are the principal host for both Ancylostoma duodenale.
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Transmission
- 1. Eggs passed with the feces.
- 2. On contact with the human host, typically bare feet, the larvae penetrate the skin and are carried through the blood vessels to the heart and then to the lungs. They penetrate into the pulmonary alveoli, ascend the bronchial tree to the pharynx, and are swallowed.
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Diagnosis
Microscopic identification of eggs in the stool is the most common method for diagnosing hookworm infection.
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