What are Hookworms?

Hookworms are a collective name for the nematodes of the family Anophelesidae, and the developed sac is a morphological feature. Among the nematodes that parasitize the human digestive tract, hookworms are the most harmful. Due to the parasites of hookworms, chronic blood loss can occur in the human body for a long time, resulting in anemia and symptoms associated with anemia.

Hookworm is a common intestinal parasite. It is only about 1cm long, the size of an embroidery needle, and it is parasitic in the human duodenum and small intestine. Each hookworm can lay tens of thousands of eggs in a day. These hookworm eggs are excreted from the human body with feces, and larvae can be hatched under appropriate conditions. ^[1]

Eggs are excreted with feces at a temperature of 25 ° C to 30 ° C. C, humidity of 30% to 50%, sufficient oxygen, and not exposed to direct sunlight, 24 to 48 hours, the first phase rod-shaped maggot hatched, feeding on soil microorganisms and organic matter, can develop into a second phase in 48 hours Rod-shaped salamander. After another 5 to 6 days, the skin was peeled into a filiform salamander. Filamentous salamanders have the ability to infect hosts, also known as infectious salamanders.

Infested pupae mostly live on the soil surface at 6 cml; pupae must have water to form a water film surrounding the pupae's body during infection, or the larvae will die. When the tapeworm is in contact with human skin during the infection period, the temperature on the body surface can enhance its mobility and penetrate into the human body through hair follicles, sweat glands or damaged skin. Larvae that have penetrated into the skin migrate into the blood vessels or lymphatic vessels under the skin, and are then taken into the right heart and pass through the pulmonary arteries into the pulmonary blood vessels. Most larvae can continue to pass through the microvessels to the alveoli. Along the bronchi, trachea, and through the esophagus and stomach of the host, the larvae can be expelled with sputum. After reaching the small intestine, the larva grows rapidly. After 3-4 days of infection, the larvae begin to molt for the third time and become the fourth stage larva. After 10 days, the larvae undergo the fourth molt and gradually develop into adults. It usually takes 5 to 7 weeks for the larva to drill into the adult to mate and lay eggs. ^[2]

The pathogenic effects of the two hookworms are similar. Duodenum

Stool test to detect

Hookworm patients and

Hookworm is one of the most widespread parasitic diseases in the world, and it is endemic in Europe, America, Africa, and Asia. Duodenal hookworms belong to the temperate type, American hookworms belong to the subtropical and tropical types. Due to geographical location, a hookworm epidemic is common in endemic areas, but mixed infection is also common. China is located in temperate and subtropical areas. South of the Huaihe River and the Yellow River, hilly land and dam land with an average altitude below 800m are still the main endemic areas of hookworms. Among them, Sichuan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Fujian, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Hunan, Anhui, Yunnan, Hainan and Taiwan are more serious. The population infection rate is still high, and it can be as high as 50% in some areas. Generally, the south is higher than the north, and the rural area is higher than the city. .