Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery

Bachelor of Science (Hons ) Nursing – Post registration

MIRCROBIOLOGY&PARASITOLOG
Y
NBHS 2522
Topic: HOOKWORM
DISEASE

Name : Pily Ting Leh Fong

(BNP17041388)
Sia Ching Hung
(BNP
Lecturer: Puan Nurul Huda
Cohort : 6/18
Date: 3/10/2019
 Introduction
 Almost 500 million people in developing tropical countries
are infected, and simulation models estimate that hookworm
infection is responsible for >4 million disability-adjusted life
years lost annually.

(Loukas et al, 2016)

 DEFINITION
 Hookworm infection is an infection by a type of intestinal
parasite known as a hookworm. (CDC Hookworm, 2014)

 Soil-transmitted nematode parasites that can reside for

many years in the small intestine of their human hosts.
(Loukas et al, 2016)
Causes
 A common helminth infection that is
predominantly caused by the nematode parasites
Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale.
(Haburchak, 2018)
 Transmission
 Hookworm can spread when a person who has the infection
defecates in the soil or when people use human feces on soil as
a fertilizer.

 Infection can only happen when the eggs mature into larvae in
soil.

 Transmission happen if the person:

 walks barefoot on soil that contains the larvae
 swallows soil particles, for example on unwashed salad leaves.
(Smith, 2018)
How hookworm infection spread?

(Smith, 2018)
 Symptoms
 Abdominal pain
 Skin rash in one area that is typically red, raised, and itchy
 Breathing complications, such as wheezing and a cough
 Nausea
 Weight loss
 Fever
 Chronic infections lead to malnutrition

(Murell, 2018)
Symptoms (to be cont)
 Most children with hookworm infections have no
signs or symptoms.
 when the infection is long term, it can cause iron
deficiency and anemia (low red blood cells)
because of bleeding from the bowel wall where the
worm is attached.
Treatment
 Antiparasitic drugs
 a single dose of albendazole or 3 days of
mebendazole or pyrantel (test another stool sample
from child after first to second weeks following
treatment).

 Iron supplements help replace the iron has lost.

Prevention
 Wearing shoes when walk outdoors
 Properly cleaning and cooking food
 Sanitation and hygiene are needed

(Murell, 2018)
 References
Centers for disease control (2014) Available at:
https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/hookworm/gen_info/faqs.html

Delgado, A. (2018) Hookworm infection, Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/hookworm

Haburchak, D. R. (2018) Hookworm Disease, Medscape. Available at:

https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/218805-overview

Loukas, A., Hotez, P. J., Diemert, D., Yazdanbaksh, M., McCarthy, J. S., Oliveira, R. C., Croese, J. & Bethony, J.
M. (2016) ‘Hookworm infection’, Nature Reviews Disease Primers 2. Available at:
https://www.nature.com/articles/nrdp201688

Smith, L. (2018) What's to know about hookworm infection, Medical News Today.
Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/313077.php