Classification: ICD-9 126; ICD-10 B76
Syndromes and synonyms: Ancylostomiasis, Necatoriasis, Uncinariasis, ground itch.
Agent: The blood-feeding nematodes Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus, also known as soil-transmitted helminths (STHs). A. ceylanicum has a limited distribution. The adult nematodes are up to 10 mm long.
Reservoir: Humans.
Transmission: Infective larvae in soil invade the skin; A. duodenale larvae can also infect via oral ingestion.
Cycle: Hookworm eggs hatch in the soil and develop to infective larvae (L3) that can penetrate the skin. After entering the host, the larvae migrate to the lungs, move up the trachea and swallowed. In the gastrointestinal tract the larvae mature to adult worms (both sexes). After mating, the female hookworms produce up to 30,000 eggs per day that are shedded with the stools into the environment.
Incubation period: Varies from weeks to several months, depending on infection intensity.
Clinical findings
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