The hookworm is a parasite that lives in the small intestine of its host, which may be a mammal such as a dog, cat, or human. Two species of hookworms commonly infect humans, Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus. The distribution of each species significantly overlaps that of the other. Necator americanus predominates in The Americas and Australia, while only A. duodenale is found in the Middle East, North Africa and southern Europe. Hookworms are thought to infect 800 million people worldwide. The A. braziliense species infects cats, while A. caninum infects dogs. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Kingdoms Eukaryotes (also spelled eucaryotes) are organisms with complex cells, in which the genetic material is organized into membrane-bound nuclei. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Bilateria  Acoelomorpha  Orthonectida  Rhombozoa  Myxozoa  Superphylum Deuterostomia     Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Classes Adenophora    Subclass Enoplia    Subclass Chromadoria Secernentea    Subclass Rhabditia    Subclass Spiruria    Subclass Diplogasteria The roundworms (Phylum Nematoda) are one of the most common phyla of animals, with over 20,000 different described species. ... A parasite is an organism that lives in or on the living tissue of a host organism at the expense of that host. ... Diagram showing the small intestine In biology the small intestine is the part of the gastrointestinal tract between the stomach and the large intestine (colon). ... Orders Subclass Monotremata Monotremata Subclass Marsupialia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Subclass Placentalia Xenarthra Dermoptera Desmostylia Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorpha Insectivora Chiroptera Pholidota Carnivora Perissodactyla Artiodactyla Cetacea Afrosoricida Macroscelidea Tubulidentata Hyracoidea Proboscidea Sirenia The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals primarily characterized by the presence of mammary... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The Dog is a canine carnivorous mammal that has been domesticated for at least 14,000 years and perhaps for as long as 150,000 years based on recent evidence. ... Trinomial name Felis silvestris catus Schreber, 1775 The cat (also called domestic cat or house cat) is a small feline carnivorous mammal. ... Binomial name Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Subspecies Homo sapiens idaltu (extinct) Homo sapiens sapiens Human beings define themselves in biological, social, and spiritual terms. ... The Americas (sometimes referred to as America) is the area including the land mass located between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, generally divided into North America and South America. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... North Africa is a region generally considered to include: Algeria Egypt Libya Mauritania Morocco Sudan Tunisia Western Sahara The Canary Islands, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Azores and Madeira are sometimes considered to be a part of North Africa, though they do not share a common culture with North Africa. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ...

These worms are much smaller than the large roundworm, Ascaris lumbricoides, and the complications of tissue migration and mechanical obstruction so frequently observed with roundworm infestation are less frequent in hookworm infestation. The most significant risk of hookworm infection is anemia secondary to loss of iron (and protein) into the gut. All gone! ... Binomial name Ascaris lumbricoides Ascaris lumbricoides is a human parasitic roundworm, which causes the disease of ascariasis. ... Anemia (American English) or anaemia (Commonwealth English), which literally means without blood, is a lack of red blood cells and/or hemoglobin. ... General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metal Group, Period, Block 8 (VIIIB), 4, d Density, Hardness 7874 kg/m3, 4. ... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ...

Hookworms are leading causes of maternal and child morbidity in the developing countries of the tropics and subtropics. In susceptible children hookworms cause intellectual, cognitive and growth retardation; as well as intrauterine growth retardation, prematurity and low birth weight among newborns born to infected mothers. Hookworm infection is rarely fatal, but anemia can be significant in the heavily infected individual. In epidemiology, the morbidity rate is a ratio that measures the incidence and prevalence of a specific disease. ... A developing country is a country with low average income compared to the world average. ... The tropics are the geographic region of the Earth centered on the equator and limited in latitude by the two tropics: the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. ... The subtropics (also known as semitropics) are the geographic regions of the Earth immediately north and south, respectively, of the two tropics: the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn - i. ... Prematurity is the condition of being born before a full gestation. ...

Hookworm life cycle

Hookworm life cycle

See the image for the biological life cycle of the hookworm. A life cycle includes the major sexual stages of a species, especially in regard to its ploidy. ... A life cycle includes the major sexual stages of a species, especially in regard to its ploidy. ...

The hookworm larva lives in infected soil. The larva penetrates the skin on contact, e.g. when walking barefoot, enters the bloodstream and is transported to the lungs. From the lungs and bronchi it transfers to the stomach and intestine by coughing up and swallowing phlegm. The larva attaches to the intestine wall and developes into an adult hookworm. The adult releases eggs that leave the human body with the feces. The eggs hatch in soil and eventually develop into larva. A larva (Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of animal with indirect development, undergoing metamorphosis (for example, insects or amphibians). ... For the heavy metal band see Soil (band) Soil is the layer of minerals and organic matter, in thickness from centimetres to a metre or more, on the land surface. ... Model of the layers of human skin In zootomy and dermatology, skin is an organ of the integumentary system; which is composed of a layer of tissues that protect underlying muscles and organs. ... Healthy feet and ideal footprints of a girl who regularly goes barefoot Going barefoot is the practice of walking without shoes or socks. ... Red blood cells (erythrocytes) are present in the blood and help carry oxygen to the rest of the cells in the body Blood is a circulating tissue composed of fluid plasma and cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets). ... The heart with relation to the lungs (from an older edition of Grays Anatomy) This x-ray of the human chest shows the lungs as dark regions The lung is an organ belonging to the respiratory system and interfacing to the circulatory system of air-breathing vertebrates. ... A bronchus (plural bronchi, adjective bronchial) is a caliber of airways in the respiratory tract that conducts air into the lungs. ... In anatomy, the stomach (in ancient Greek στόμαχος) is an organ in the alimentary canal used to digest food. ... Phlegm is a type of mucus, the sticky fluid secreted by the mucous membranes of animals. ... Look up Egg in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Egg has multiple meanings. ... Rabbit feces are usually 0. ...

To prevent hookworm infection:

• prevent skin/soil contact: do not walk barefoot
• do not defecate outside latrines, toilets etc.
• do not use human excrement or raw sewage as manure/fertilizer in agriculture

Defecation or feceation (known colloquially as pooping or shitting, or euphemistically as a bowel movement) is the often pleasurable act of eliminating solid or semisolid waste material from the digestive tract. ... A latrine is a method of disposal of human waste used in rural areas and much of the developing world. ... Flush toilet A toilet is a plumbing fixture devised for the disposal of bodily wastes, including urine, feces, methane, semen and vomit. ... This article is about &c. ... Sewage is domestic, municipal, or industrial liquid waste products. ... The word manure means some types of organic matter used as fertilizer for land. ... Fertilizers are chemicals given to plants with the intention of promoting growth; they are usually applied either via the soil or by foliar spraying. ...

See also

• Creeping eruption

Creeping eruption is the name for a rash caused by the movement of hookworm larvae beneath the surface of the skin. ...

External link

• CDC Department of Parasitic Diseases images of the hookworm life cycle (http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/HTML/ImageLibrary/Hookworm_il.htm)
• Personal MD, more hookworm info (http://www.personalmd.com/news/hookworm_072600.shtml)