Thursday, November 15, 2012

Hookworms (Ancylostoma Duodenale)



This hookworm parasite is classified under Nematodes. The hosts are usually cats, dogs, and humans...so yes...that means you and I! To make it even worse, hookworms are the only parasites with teeth! Ouch! But the better thing about it is that it is only found in some parts of the United States, and mostly around  southern Europe, north Africa, India, China, southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and South America.

The information required from the CDC states that "Hookworms live in the small intestine. Hookworm eggs are passed in the feces of an infected person. If the infected person defecates outside (near bushes, in a garden, or field) or if the feces of an infected person are used as fertilizer, eggs are deposited on soil. They can then mature and hatch, releasing larvae (immature worms). The larvae mature into a form that can penetrate the skin of humans. Hookworm infection is mainly acquired by walking barefoot on contaminated soil. One kind of hookworm can also be transmitted through the ingestion of larvae."




Treatment of this hookworm can be through the use of Anthelminthic medication, which is for the use of parasites.




For more information one can visit the CDC's website 

http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/hookworm/gen_info/index.html





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