Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptoms and SignsTransmissionRisk FactorsDiagnosisTreatmentPreventionFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms and Signs
Transmission
Risk Factors
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention
Frequently Asked Questions
Hookworm is anintestinal parasitethat affects more than half a billion people globally.The worms live in the small intestines of those who are infected.
Though a safe and effective treatment is available, there are an estimated 576–740 million people currently infected with hookworm worldwide, making it one of the most common neglected tropical diseases impacting humans.
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See PhotoReproduced with permission from ©DermNet New Zealandwww.dermnetnz.org2023.
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See Photo
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.
Reproduced with permission from ©DermNet New Zealandwww.dermnetnz.org2023.
While most people with hookworm infections don’t have any symptoms, long-term infections can cause lifelong consequences for children, including iron deficiency anemia, protein malnutrition, subsequent growth stunting, and decreased cognitive capacity.
This article will cover the signs and symptoms of a hookworm infection, how it’s transmitted, treatment measures, and more.
Verywell / JR Bee
Not everyone infected with hookworm will get symptoms. When they do, it’s oftenitchinessor a localized rash that occurs when the larvae penetrate the skin (typically on the bottom of the foot).
Those heavily infected, however, might experience:
While most people who are infected don’t experience any symptoms at all, the disease can cause serious damage if left untreated—especially for pregnant women and young children.
The worms feed on blood, resulting over time in internal blood loss, malnutrition, andanemia. As noted, the long-term impact can lead to serious consequences for children’s physical growth and cognitive development.
Two types of hookworms infect humans:Ancylostoma duodenaleandNecator americanus.
The adult and larvae stage of the worms live in the human intestine and can spread through contaminated soil.
There are two primary ways people become infected with hookworms: skin-to-soil and ingestion through contaminated food or water sources.
Animals vs. Humans
However, animal hookworm larvae usually don’t survive more than six weeks in humans. Signs and symptoms usually resolve without treatment.
The Life Cycle of the Hookworm
The life cycle of the hookworm is similar to those of other intestinal parasites:
Risk factors for hookworm include living in warm, moist climates where sanitation is poor. In particular, it occurs where humans defecate outside or where human feces is used as fertilizer.
Diagnosing hookworm is a relatively straightforward and simple process. Healthcare providers take a stool sample and look for hookworm eggs under a microscope.
Because it can be tough to spot the eggs if the infection is light, the CDC recommends that healthcare providers or lab techs use a concentration procedure to increase the chances the eggs will be seen.
Multiple treatment options are available for hookworm, including some that can treat the infection in just one dose. Because thesetreatment optionsare safe and effective, they are often given preventively to individuals without a diagnosis or delivered to whole communities on an annual basis to keep infections under control.
With treatment, you can get rid of hookworms. You can expect a full recovery if you’re treated before any serious complications develop.
Medications
Hookworm can be treated easily with a number of anthelminthic medications—like albendazole, mebendazole, and pyrantel pamoate—designed to rid the body of the parasites.
Iron Supplements
For kids, pregnant peopole, or others who develop anemia as a result of hookworm infection, healthcare providers will often prescribe aniron supplementin addition to an anti-worm medication.
These supplements help restore the body’s iron stores. These are essential to making the red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body.
Preventive Chemotherapy
Hookworm treatment is sometimes given without a stool examination for groups at higher risk for hookworm in developing countries. This is called preventive treatment or preventive chemotherapy. The World Health Organization names the following as high-risk groups:
Mass Drug Administrations
Another tactic used to treat hookworm and other worms transmitted via contaminated soil is to give medications to whole communities presumptively.The drugs used to treat these infections are inexpensive, often donated, and safe with few side effects.
To prevent infection, keep the following tips in mind, especially in areas where hookworm is common:
12 Tips on How to Prevent Infectious Diseases
Summary
A hookworm infection often doesn’t cause any symptoms. If it does, it can cause symptoms like a localized rash, abdominal pain, diarrhea, lack of appetite, and weight loss. Over time, it can cause anemia and malnutrition.
A Word From Verywell
While no longer common in the United States, hookworm—along with other soil-transmittedhelminths—continues to be a major cause of illness worldwide, especially among those with poor access to sanitation and effective treatment.
It’s relatively uncommon for travelers to areas with hookworm to become infected, so long as they wear shoes while walking outside and thoroughly wash uncooked food. That said, if you have any symptoms of hookworm, see your healthcare provider right away to be tested for the worm and, if necessary, get treatment.
Frequently Asked QuestionsSeveral weeks after exposure, you may begin experiencing symptoms such as loss of appetite and weight loss.This can happen when the hookworms attach themselves to the intestines.However, most people with hookworm infections don’t have any signs or symptoms.You can’t see them with the naked eye. However, your healthcare provider can use a microscope to look for hookworm eggs in your stool.It could take many years for hookworms to go away on their own. In that time, they can cause serious health problems like anemia and malnutrition.With treatment, you can get rid of hookworms and avoid health complications.
Several weeks after exposure, you may begin experiencing symptoms such as loss of appetite and weight loss.This can happen when the hookworms attach themselves to the intestines.However, most people with hookworm infections don’t have any signs or symptoms.
Several weeks after exposure, you may begin experiencing symptoms such as loss of appetite and weight loss.This can happen when the hookworms attach themselves to the intestines.
However, most people with hookworm infections don’t have any signs or symptoms.
You can’t see them with the naked eye. However, your healthcare provider can use a microscope to look for hookworm eggs in your stool.
It could take many years for hookworms to go away on their own. In that time, they can cause serious health problems like anemia and malnutrition.With treatment, you can get rid of hookworms and avoid health complications.
13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.UpToDate.Hookworm infection.Colella V, Khieu V, Worsley A, et al.Risk profiling and efficacy of albendazole against the hookworms Necator americanus and Ancylostoma ceylanicum in Cambodia to support control programs in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific.The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific. 2021;16:100258. doi: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2021.100258Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About hookworm.Umbrello G, Pinzani R, Bandera A, et al.Hookworm infection in infants: A case report and review of literature.Italian Journal of Pediatrics. 2021;47(1):26. doi: 10.1186/s13052-021-00981-1Doulberis M, Papaefthymiou A, Kountouras J, et al.Hookworms in emergency department: The “vampire” within.J Acute Med. 2018;8(4):135-148. doi: 10.6705/j.jacme.201812_8(4).0001Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical features of zoonotic hookworm.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Stool specimens-Specimen processing.MedlinePlus.Hookworm infection.Ebenezer R, Gunawardena K, Kumarendran B, et al.Cluster-randomised trial of the impact of school-based deworming and iron supplementation on the cognitive abilities of schoolchildren in Sri Lanka’s plantation sector.Trop Med Int Health. 2013;18(8):942-951. doi: 10.1111/tmi.12128World Health Organization.Soil-transmitted helminith infections.Loukouri A, Méité A, Koudou BG, et al.Impact of annual and semi-annual mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis on hookworm infection in Côte d’Ivoire.Basáñez MG, ed.PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2020;14(9):e0008642. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008642American Academy of Pediatrics.Hookworms.Abuzeid AM, Zhou X, Huang Y, Li G.Twenty-five-year research progress in Hookworm excretory/secretory products.Parasites & Vectors. 2020;13(1). doi:10.1186/s13071-020-04010-8
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.UpToDate.Hookworm infection.Colella V, Khieu V, Worsley A, et al.Risk profiling and efficacy of albendazole against the hookworms Necator americanus and Ancylostoma ceylanicum in Cambodia to support control programs in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific.The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific. 2021;16:100258. doi: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2021.100258Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About hookworm.Umbrello G, Pinzani R, Bandera A, et al.Hookworm infection in infants: A case report and review of literature.Italian Journal of Pediatrics. 2021;47(1):26. doi: 10.1186/s13052-021-00981-1Doulberis M, Papaefthymiou A, Kountouras J, et al.Hookworms in emergency department: The “vampire” within.J Acute Med. 2018;8(4):135-148. doi: 10.6705/j.jacme.201812_8(4).0001Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical features of zoonotic hookworm.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Stool specimens-Specimen processing.MedlinePlus.Hookworm infection.Ebenezer R, Gunawardena K, Kumarendran B, et al.Cluster-randomised trial of the impact of school-based deworming and iron supplementation on the cognitive abilities of schoolchildren in Sri Lanka’s plantation sector.Trop Med Int Health. 2013;18(8):942-951. doi: 10.1111/tmi.12128World Health Organization.Soil-transmitted helminith infections.Loukouri A, Méité A, Koudou BG, et al.Impact of annual and semi-annual mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis on hookworm infection in Côte d’Ivoire.Basáñez MG, ed.PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2020;14(9):e0008642. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008642American Academy of Pediatrics.Hookworms.Abuzeid AM, Zhou X, Huang Y, Li G.Twenty-five-year research progress in Hookworm excretory/secretory products.Parasites & Vectors. 2020;13(1). doi:10.1186/s13071-020-04010-8
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
UpToDate.Hookworm infection.Colella V, Khieu V, Worsley A, et al.Risk profiling and efficacy of albendazole against the hookworms Necator americanus and Ancylostoma ceylanicum in Cambodia to support control programs in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific.The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific. 2021;16:100258. doi: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2021.100258Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About hookworm.Umbrello G, Pinzani R, Bandera A, et al.Hookworm infection in infants: A case report and review of literature.Italian Journal of Pediatrics. 2021;47(1):26. doi: 10.1186/s13052-021-00981-1Doulberis M, Papaefthymiou A, Kountouras J, et al.Hookworms in emergency department: The “vampire” within.J Acute Med. 2018;8(4):135-148. doi: 10.6705/j.jacme.201812_8(4).0001Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical features of zoonotic hookworm.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Stool specimens-Specimen processing.MedlinePlus.Hookworm infection.Ebenezer R, Gunawardena K, Kumarendran B, et al.Cluster-randomised trial of the impact of school-based deworming and iron supplementation on the cognitive abilities of schoolchildren in Sri Lanka’s plantation sector.Trop Med Int Health. 2013;18(8):942-951. doi: 10.1111/tmi.12128World Health Organization.Soil-transmitted helminith infections.Loukouri A, Méité A, Koudou BG, et al.Impact of annual and semi-annual mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis on hookworm infection in Côte d’Ivoire.Basáñez MG, ed.PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2020;14(9):e0008642. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008642American Academy of Pediatrics.Hookworms.Abuzeid AM, Zhou X, Huang Y, Li G.Twenty-five-year research progress in Hookworm excretory/secretory products.Parasites & Vectors. 2020;13(1). doi:10.1186/s13071-020-04010-8
UpToDate.Hookworm infection.
Colella V, Khieu V, Worsley A, et al.Risk profiling and efficacy of albendazole against the hookworms Necator americanus and Ancylostoma ceylanicum in Cambodia to support control programs in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific.The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific. 2021;16:100258. doi: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2021.100258
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About hookworm.
Umbrello G, Pinzani R, Bandera A, et al.Hookworm infection in infants: A case report and review of literature.Italian Journal of Pediatrics. 2021;47(1):26. doi: 10.1186/s13052-021-00981-1
Doulberis M, Papaefthymiou A, Kountouras J, et al.Hookworms in emergency department: The “vampire” within.J Acute Med. 2018;8(4):135-148. doi: 10.6705/j.jacme.201812_8(4).0001
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical features of zoonotic hookworm.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Stool specimens-Specimen processing.
MedlinePlus.Hookworm infection.
Ebenezer R, Gunawardena K, Kumarendran B, et al.Cluster-randomised trial of the impact of school-based deworming and iron supplementation on the cognitive abilities of schoolchildren in Sri Lanka’s plantation sector.Trop Med Int Health. 2013;18(8):942-951. doi: 10.1111/tmi.12128
World Health Organization.Soil-transmitted helminith infections.
Loukouri A, Méité A, Koudou BG, et al.Impact of annual and semi-annual mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis on hookworm infection in Côte d’Ivoire.Basáñez MG, ed.PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2020;14(9):e0008642. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008642
American Academy of Pediatrics.Hookworms.
Abuzeid AM, Zhou X, Huang Y, Li G.Twenty-five-year research progress in Hookworm excretory/secretory products.Parasites & Vectors. 2020;13(1). doi:10.1186/s13071-020-04010-8
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