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Chronic infections can lead to poor nutrition. Several weeks after exposure to this hookworm, a loss of appetite and weight loss may occur. Lung inflammation with cough, wheezing, and fever rarely occur while the larvae migrate through the lungs.
#Signs and symptoms of hookworms in humans skin#
An itchy, red skin rash (ground itch) can appear on the feet where the larvae entered the body.
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Other symptoms include mild diarrhea and stomach cramps. However, especially when the infection is long term, it can cause iron deficiency and anemia (low red blood cells) because of bleeding from the bowel wall where the worm is attached. Most children with hookworm infections have no signs or symptoms. Adult hookworms live in the bowel and lay eggs that pass out of the child with the stool. The worm holds onto the bowel wall with hooks, which cause minor bleeding. The larvae pass through the stomach and mature into adult worms in the bowel. The hookworms then crawl up the breathing tubes to the throat, where they are swallowed. The blood carries the larvae to the lungs, where they enter into the air sacs. In soil, hookworm eggs hatch and form larvae, which then burrow through the skin of a person’s foot and crawl into the blood. Children are at high risk because they often play barefoot in areas with contaminated soil. These infections develop after a person has contact with soil contaminated with human feces. Hookworm diseases are most common in tropical and subtropical climates. They get their name from the teeth (“hooks”) or cutting plates in their mouths by which they attach themselves to the intestinal wall. The major species of hookworms associated with infections in humans are Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus.
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To prevent parasitic infection, the CAPC recommend year-round broad-spectrum parasite control and also recommend promptly removing animal stool from litter boxes and yards. As with any preventive testing, the animals’ health and certain risk factors will guide how often testing is needed. The CAPC recommend at least four intestinal parasite tests in the first year and a minimum of two a year afterward. The animal strain can spread to humans in some cases.įor this reason, the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) recommend fecal testing in cats and dogs, with more frequent testing in the kitten and puppy age groups. Hookworms can be present in household pets, including dogs and cats. Share on Pinterest Taking pets to the vet regularly for testing and treatment can reduce the risk of catching and spreading hookworms.
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Infection can only happen when the eggs mature into larvae in soil. Hookworms cannot pass to another individual through personal contact. From here, thousands of eggs can enter the human feces. Mating also occurs in the small intestine. In some cases, the person may develop anemia as they lose blood to the hookworms. If a person digests mature hookworms, the worms attach to the small intestine and gain nutrients through human blood. From there, the person can cough them up and swallow them. These systems carry the larvae to the lungs.