Hookworm (intestinal)

Hookworm refers to intestinal parasitic nematodes, primarily *Ancylostoma duodenale*, *Necator americanus*, and emerging *A. ceylanicum*, that infect humans via skin penetration by infective larvae in contaminated soil, followed by migration through the bloodstream and lungs to the small intestine. Adults attach to the intestinal mucosa using teeth or cutting plates, feeding on host blood and causing chronic blood loss, iron-deficiency anemia, protein malnutrition, and fatigue, with severe impacts on child growth and development in endemic areas. These parasites are soil-transmitted helminths prevalent in tropical/subtropical regions with poor sanitation, affecting over a billion people historically, though control efforts have reduced prevalence. Diagnosis relies on microscopic detection of characteristic thin-shelled eggs (60-75 µm by 35-40 µm) in stool, with treatment using benzimidazole anthelmintics like albendazole or mebendazole that inhibit worm energy metabolism. Hookworm is not a molecular therapeutic target like a receptor or enzyme but a pathogen treated via antiparasitic drugs; prevention emphasizes sanitation, footwear, and mass deworming programs.

Other names

Ancylostoma duodenaleNecator americanusAncylostoma ceylanicum

Anthelmintic drugs disrupt parasite microtubule function (benzimidazoles like albendazole/mebendazole); Pyrantel pamoate causes neuromuscular paralysis in worms