What is hookworm disease?
Hookworm is a parasite that infects the intestines. Hookworm larvae (eggs) enter through your skin. Once they reach the intestine, they hatch. As the name implies, hookworms have a hook-like head that attaches to the intestinal walls.
Hookworm, ascariasis, and whipworm are all roundworm infections. These parasitic worms are called soil-transmitted helminths (STH) because the infection spreads through contaminated soil.
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What is a parasite?
A parasite is an organism that needs to live on or inside another organism (animal or human). The parasite relies on its host (the creature it lives in or on) to survive.
Hookworms are parasites that live inside the intestines. There, they feed on blood from the intestinal wall, mature and lay eggs.
How common is hookworm disease?
Hookworm disease is widespread in many parts of the world. As many as 740 million people worldwide have hookworm disease.
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Who is at risk for hookworm disease?
Hookworm disease affects children and adults. It is most common in warm, humid and tropical locations. It’s especially common in places lacking indoor sanitation.
Is hookworm contagious?
Yes. You can get hookworm by coming in contact with stool from an infected person. Hookworm infections also spread through contact with infected soil.
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Can you get hookworm disease from your pets or other animals?
Hookworm infections in dogs, cats and other animals typically come from a different species than the one that infects humans. Animal hookworms can sometimes penetrate a person’s skin, but they don’t mature or lay eggs inside a human host.
Animal hookworms can cause a rash as they move under the skin. This itchy rash, called cutaneous larva migrans, shows up as a thin, raised red line that spreads across the skin.
