Symptoms of hookworm disease and prevention of parasite infection

Among a wide range of diseases caused by various types of parasites, hookworm disease stands out. Unlike the others, this helminthic infestation is extremely rare, which is due to the specific regions of distribution of the parasites that cause hookworm disease.

Depending on the species of helminths, two main forms of invasion are distinguished: necatoriasis and hookworm in humans and animals. It is almost impossible to detect infection in the early stages; patients consult a doctor when severe signs of the disease appear, characteristic of advanced forms of hookworm disease.

Lack of timely treatment can lead to irreversible abnormalities and death.

Hookworms are life-threatening parasites

Description of the pathology

The causative agents of a dangerous and insidious disease called hookworm disease are two types of helminths: hookworm and necator. They are considered representatives of the class of roundworms and have somewhat similar morphology and specific life cycles. Also common is the pathogenic effect exerted by parasites on the host body.

The typical habitat of helminths is countries with a warm and mild climate. In northern latitudes, necatoriasis and hookworm infection are extremely rare; this is more an exception than a variant of the norm.

Infection with hookworm disease can occur orally, as well as through the skin. It is easy to become infected with this dangerous pathology, for example, through contact with soil. The disease affects not only humans; hookworm infection is detected in cats, dogs, and other mammals.

The development of hookworm disease occurs when infected with necatoriasis

Important! Infection can only be eliminated by observing sanitary and hygienic rules. It is necessary to regularly wash your hands, vegetables and fruits, using disinfectants, do not drink raw and untreated water, and avoid contact with soil.

Causes of invasion

The eggs of the parasites hookworm duodenal and necatoriasis enter the human digestive tract, after which they penetrate into the environment along with feces. Given favorable conditions, including factors such as heat and humidity, eggs and larvae mature and can remain in this state for a long period of time.

When they enter the human or animal body through the skin or orally, the parasites are able to further grow and develop. In the tissues and organs of mammals, helminths actively grow, reaching sexual maturity and causing the development of various pathologies.

Parasites can enter the body through dirty water.

The main routes of infection with hookworm disease most often include the following:

• Eating contaminated fruits and vegetables.
• Drinking poor quality water.
• Swallowing water while swimming in open natural springs.
• Contact of skin areas with soil cover.

Children of the younger and middle age categories are susceptible to infection with hookworm. This is due to the fact that they often eat foods of questionable quality and have contact with contaminated water and soil, for example, when walking barefoot. To prevent invasion, the child should be protected from exposure to these factors.

Eating vegetables without pre-treatment can lead to infection

Features of the flow

In the vast majority of clinical cases, hookworm disease in the early stages of development occurs against the background of a complete absence of pronounced symptoms.

Individual symptoms of invasion, such as cough or digestive disorders, are often mistaken by patients for manifestations of other pathologies and diseases. In connection with these aspects, most often the patient consults a doctor already with an advanced form of hookworm.

In such a situation, long-term treatment is required, which may not give positive results.

The symptoms of the pathology may differ slightly depending on the exact stage of penetration into the tissues and organs of the helminth larvae and eggs.

You should consult a doctor if even minor signs of infestation appear, especially if the patient has consumed contaminated fruits, vegetables or water.

The primary sign of hookworm disease is a cough.

Important! Infection with hookworm disease is possible only in warm countries. When going on vacation, you should not forget about precautions that will help avoid the occurrence of this dangerous helminthic infection.

Onset of the disease

The infestation stage is characterized as the early stage of infection. During this period, helminth larvae penetrate into human or animal tissue, adapting to new living conditions.

At this stage of helminthic infestation (usually no earlier than two months from the moment of infection), hookworm causes symptoms that are more than easily confused with other diseases that are not classified as parasitic.

Among these signs are:

• When larvae penetrate through the skin, slight swelling or redness may appear directly at the site of entry of the parasite. Unpleasant symptoms may persist for two weeks.
• Dermatological problems appear. As a rule, such pathologies affect small areas of the skin at the site of entry of the pathogen.

At the initial stage, hookworm infection may manifest as itching

• Regardless of the method of penetration of parasites into the body, symptoms such as fatigue, lethargy, loss of appetite, decreased immunity, and increased fatigue may appear.
• Approximately three to four months after the larvae penetrate the tissue, swelling may appear. However, this sign does not appear in every clinical case.

When the larvae remain in the patient’s tissues for a long time, the circulatory processes are disrupted. Nutrient deficiencies are also possible due to the larvae absorbing large amounts of blood and fluids. As a rule, this occurs against the background of a significant number of parasites.

Increased fatigue is characteristic of hookworm disease

Migration stage

During its life, the hookworm larva actively “travels” throughout the host’s body, causing the appearance of various pathologies. Depending on where the parasites enter the tissue, different symptoms may occur. Among the most common complaints that people with hookworm disease exhibit are the following:

• When parasites penetrate the organs of the respiratory system, they disrupt the normal functioning of the lungs, which is associated with the appearance of symptoms such as: shortness of breath, attacks of suffocating cough. Wheezing, especially noticeable during night sleep.
• The immunity of the infected person decreases, his body becomes more susceptible to the development of various diseases of an infectious nature, including colds.
• The appearance of pain in the legs and arms, chest, abdomen. As a rule, patients note minor painful sensations that do not appear constantly, but systematically.

With hookworm infection, parasites can migrate to the lungs, causing characteristic symptoms

Important! The manifestation of such symptoms is possible only if hookworm infection lasts for a sufficiently long time without treatment. Such signs appear no earlier than several months after infection.

Intestinal stage

It is characterized as the final stage of the life cycle of parasites. Penetrating into the intestines, hookworms in humans begin to actively grow, reaching sexual maturity. Individuals lay eggs, some of which can settle in the body of the infected person, and the rest are excreted along with the feces. During this period, the patient may be bothered by symptoms such as:

• The appearance of atypical taste preferences. Patients often express a desire to use clay, earth, plaster, and chalk.

At the last stage of parasite development, changes occur in the functioning of the digestive system

• Lack of appetite, eating too much food, heartburn, belching, problems with stool, flatulence.
• When parasites remain in the human intestine for a long time, minor internal bleeding, erosion of the thin section, as well as other pathologies detected during laboratory tests are possible.

Due to the specific life activity of parasites, hookworm most often occurs against the background of a gradual manifestation of symptoms. That is, a clinic characteristic of the invasion stage initially appears.

Further, in the absence of treatment, signs appear that characterize the migratory and intestinal stages.

If any complaints from the lists above develop, you should immediately consult a doctor to make a diagnosis and prescribe an appropriate treatment option.

Hookworm infection may cause heartburn

Symptoms of infestation in animals

As mentioned above, hookworm disease can affect not only humans, but also animals.

As a rule, representatives who live in countries with warm and mild climates, have access to the outdoors, or eat low-quality food of dubious origin are susceptible to infection.

Symptoms of hookworm disease in dogs, cats, and other mammalian species are most often the following:

• Digestive disorders: vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, eating inedible items, lack of appetite.
• The animal becomes less active, weak, lethargic, and prefers to spend most of its time in a lying position.

As in humans, in cats, infection manifests itself as weakness.

• When parasite larvae penetrate through the skin, a rash, swelling and redness may appear directly in the area where the helminths are introduced.

Important! As a rule, similar symptoms occur in animals against the background of almost all types of helminthic infestation. It is important to contact a veterinarian in a timely manner, otherwise the death of the animal is possible.

Treatment of pathology

What is hookworm disease? This is an unpleasant and dangerous disease that leads to the appearance of multiple pathologies and causes death. You cannot refuse drug treatment in favor of, for example, traditional methods. It is almost impossible to remove parasites such as necator and hookworm at home.

Treatment of hookworm requires medication

Treatment includes the use of medications and a strict diet. The first is to take highly toxic drugs. Only a doctor can determine the dosage of such drugs, based on indicators such as the patient’s body weight, the stage and degree of infection, and the individual characteristics of the body.

Preventing any type of helminthic infestation is much easier than dealing with the serious consequences of the disease. Compliance with the rules and regulations of personal hygiene will allow you to avoid infection with any, even the most dangerous types of helminths.

You can learn more about hookworm disease from the video:

Source: http://peptic.ru/parazity/glisty/ankilostomidoz-simptomy.html

Hookworm: symptoms and treatment

Hookworm disease is a helminthiasis caused by roundworms from the nematous group. It comes in two forms:

The causative agent of necatoriasis is necator, reaching up to 13 cm. Its distinctive feature is the chitinous plates located at the beginning of the parasite. With the help of these chitinous plates, the helminth manages to stay on the intestinal walls.

The hookworm grows up to 14 cm in length. Instead of chitinous plates, the parasite has six chitinous teeth in the head area, with the help of which it is attached inside the intestine.

In all other respects, these worms are almost similar. The only difference is the duration of their life cycle. Hookworm lives for about 5 years, but necatoriasis manages to live quietly in a person for 15 years. The routes of their penetration also differ. The symptoms that are observed after this are very similar.

Life cycle

The development of hookworm disease in humans is possible when infected with a necator or hookworm larva. A person with parasites inside does not pose a danger to others. Parasite eggs become infectious after they have gone through a certain cycle.

The eggs, which live in the intestines of people and are released into the open space with their feces, ripen in the soil and become dangerous. A couple of weeks are enough for them to ripen, but this requires favorable conditions. Therefore, hookworm disease is more common in countries with hot climates.

There are two ways in which the larvae of hookworm pathogens enter:

• fecal-oral;
• through the skin.

This means that helminths can enter the body along with poorly processed berries, fruits and vegetables or due to unwashed hands. In addition to these paths, nekatora can penetrate to a person through the skin when walking barefoot or working with the ground without gloves.

The risk group includes:

• children running barefoot and little adherence to personal hygiene rules;
• agricultural workers;
• summer residents;
• miners.

Symptoms

This disease can manifest itself in different ways in different situations. Being parasitic in some people, they may not reveal themselves in any way. In others, symptoms of infection may appear immediately after the incubation period, which is about 2 months.

To fully understand the symptoms, it is necessary to understand the characteristics with which the parasite spreads in the human body.

  Naegleria fowlera and negleriosis

Due to the fact that it immediately enters the gastrointestinal tract of people, it is not difficult for it to reach the intestines and lead its parasitic lifestyle there. This path is taken by hookworms and necators, penetrating through the fecal-oral route.

The same necators that penetrate the skin initially enter the blood, and subsequently spread in the blood vessels of the heart, lungs, and bronchi.

From there, with the help of destructive actions on the walls of blood vessels, they penetrate into the small intestine, where they settle and lead a parasitic lifestyle.

Symptoms of hookworm disease caused by hookworms are largely related to problems in the function of the digestive tract. Necators that enter through the skin travel throughout the human body, so the symptoms are somewhat different.

When infected with hookworm, adults and children are concerned about:

• nausea;
• perversion in taste (a person sometimes wants to eat something that seems inedible, for example, clay, sand);
• frequent vomiting;
• inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, with painful manifestations;
• diarrhea and constipation;
• Iron-deficiency anemia.

After some time of parasites remaining in the body, an allergic reaction resembling hives occurs.

The presence of necator causes the following symptoms:

• various types of rashes appear on the body - papules, erythema;
• feeling weak;
• the person becomes irritable;
• In the respiratory organs, catarrhal phenomena occur, manifested by bronchitis, pneumonia, etc.

When children are infected with these helminths, their nervous system is damaged, causing them to have problems in mental and physical development. In addition to all this, patients experience noticeable weight loss.

Phases of the disease

Hookworm disease can occur in two phases:

• Acute, which can last from 21 days to several months with a severe course of the disease. During this time, serious changes occur due to the body's allergic reaction to the migration of parasite larvae.
• The chronic phase shows the typical clinical picture of hookworm disease.

There are symptoms of three stages of development of this dangerous and insidious disease:

1. Skin.
2. Pulmonary.
3. Intestinal.

Skin stage

If a person is infected with necator through the skin, the symptoms do not take long to appear. Parasites tear the epithelium with their incisors and penetrate into the pores, from them under the skin, and then into the blood vessels. Such signs of penetration can be clearly visible to the naked eye. At the cutaneous stage of hookworm, the following symptoms are observed:

• The skin at the points of penetration itches, burns, itches and swells.
• An allergy appears.
• Bleeding ulcers form.
• Changes are observed in blood tests; there are more eozonophils.
• The skin is crowned with red papules.
• The patient becomes irritable.

  Types and treatment of subcutaneous parasites in humans

All these symptoms and their severity depend entirely on the degree of infection. If the infestation is small, then the symptoms of hookworms may not appear for a long time. The disease can go unnoticed for several months or even years.

Pulmonary stage

After the larvae migrate under the skin, they eventually enter the blood vessels. After this, it is not difficult for them to reach the alveoli. With the blood, the infection enters the lungs, from where it moves through all pulmonary channels into the bronchi, trachea and digestive tract.

The lungs provide a favorable environment for parasite larvae. There, the invasion may manifest itself in a more severe form with other symptoms. People experience:

• Attacks of severe coughing with phlegm.
• Suffocation.
• Severe shortness of breath.
• Headache that progressed into a migraine.
• Problems with orientation in space.
• Pain in the chest and back.
• Chronic fatigue, sleepy state.
• Allergic manifestations.
• State of fever.
• Pneumonia.
• Increased eozonophil levels.

Intestinal stage

This stage is considered one of the most severe, with the most pronounced symptoms. And the consequences of this invasion are always the most dangerous.

Intestinal hookworm disease is manifested by the following symptoms:

• Increased salivation.
• Nausea, vomiting, stool disorders, abdominal pain.
• Fever, fever.
• Pain in the area of ​​the heart, stomach and right hypochondrium.
• Reduced hemoglobin levels, lack of folic acid, albumin.
• Increased eozonophils.
• Noise in the ears, low blood pressure, increased heart rate.
• Problems with taste and appetite.

In the human gastrointestinal tract, the hookworm undergoes another molt, which has a strong toxic effect on the host’s body. As a result, signs of severe allergies often appear.

With prolonged parasitism in the body by hookworms, the following unpleasant symptoms occur:

• Inflammatory process in the gastrointestinal tract.
• The duodenum is damaged by ulcers.
• Iron deficiency anemia appears.
• Intestinal bleeding may occur.
• Myocarditis.
• Alopecia.
• Infertility.
• Hormonal disbalance.
• The menstrual cycle is disrupted.
• The person is developmentally delayed.
• Pathologies are noticed during development in the womb.
• Miscarriages happen.

Diagnostics

The presence of these symptoms gives reason to suspect that a person has hookworm disease. But to accurately confirm it, you need to consult a specialist and make a diagnosis. To do this, the following steps are taken:

• The patient is examined by examining the skin, sclera and by palpation.
• The blood is examined for the number of eozonophils.
• Clinical symptoms are being studied.
• The mechanisms that led to infection are identified.

If the doctor, after all checks, has a positive result, the following measures are taken to confirm an accurate diagnosis:

• Blood is donated for serological analysis. Helminthiases are characterized by an increase in eozonophils, changes in the levels of erythrocytes and hemoglobin.
• Using a coprogram, the species of the helminth is determined.
• Fluoroscopy makes it possible to determine pulmonary infiltrates and hypotonic changes in the intestines.
• Using a duodenal examination, the composition of bile and the presence of damage to the mucous membranes of internal organs are checked.

Treatment

The goal of hookworm therapy is primarily aimed at the complete destruction of parasites in the body. There are traditional methods of combating these parasites and folk methods. The latter are used only in cases of minor invasion.

Traditional therapy

When prescribing drugs for hookworm, the doctor takes into account many factors:

• Individual characteristics of the patient.
• Severity of infection.
• Presence of complications.

Effective and frequently used means are:

1. Mebendazole . The course of treatment with this drug lasts 3 days. Mebendazole is taken 3 times a day, 1 tablet of 100 mg.
2. Albendazole . It is enough to take 400 mg of the drug at a time to get rid of hookworm.
3. Pyrantel . This remedy is taken at a dose of 10 mg per 1 kg of patient weight. This dose must be taken once a day for 3 days.
4. Dekaris . 150 mg of the drug per day for 3 days is enough. For children under 14 years of age, the dose should be slightly reduced - 2.5 mg of medication per 1 kg of weight.

After getting rid of parasites, medications containing iron, folic acid and vitamins must be taken.

It is advisable to undergo therapy under the strict supervision of a specialist. A month after it, control tests should be carried out to ensure that there is no invasion.

Prevention of the disease plays an important role, including:

• compliance with personal hygiene rules;
• thorough treatment of food products with water;
• drinking clean water;
• avoiding skin contact with the ground.

Any disease is much easier to prevent than to cure.

Source: http://YaChist.ru/parazityi/ankilostomidoz-simptomyi-i-lechenie/

Hookworm disease - routes of infection, symptoms, treatment, prevention

Hookworm disease (hookworm, necatoriasis) is a helminthiasis that occurs with damage to the gastrointestinal tract and iron deficiency anemia; the causative agents are representatives of the hookworm family, hookworm and necatoriasis.

Prevalence of the disease

In terms of the number of people infected around the globe, hookworm infections rank second after ascariasis. More than 900 million people are infected with them. At the same time, 450 million new cases of the disease are registered annually.

Hookworm infections are common in areas with warm and humid climates. In some countries of South and Central America, Africa, southern Asia, Hindustan, Indochina and the islands of the Malay Archipelago, up to 50% of the population is infected. Limited outbreaks exist in Central Asian countries, the Transcaucasus, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan, western Georgia and Azerbaijan.

On the territory of Russia - on the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory, on the border with Abkhazia.

In countries with a temperate climate, there are underground foci of hookworm - deep mines of the coal and mining industries, where there are favorable conditions for the development of hookworm larvae.

Routes of infection

The source of environmental contamination by the larvae of these helminths is a sick person; the main transmission factor is soil.

The dispersal of larvae is facilitated

• soil contamination with feces,
• erosion of cesspools by heavy rains,
• as well as the use of undisinfected feces to fertilize vegetable gardens.

• Mechanical transfer of contaminated feces particles by domestic animals, birds, and flies is possible.
• A sick person does not pose an immediate danger to others, since they secrete hookworm eggs that are not dangerous to others.
• People's natural sensitivity is high.
  At-risk groups:

• children,
• summer residents,
• agricultural workers,
• miners,
• tourists.

Development of the disease

The pathological effect on the human body is

• the impact of larval antigens on the immune system,
• their mechanical effect on the tissues of those organs through which they migrate,
• “devouring” blood cells by parasites.

As a result of these effects, pinpoint hemorrhages occur in the lungs with infiltration of eosinophils and leukocytes. During the period of migration of individuals, the patient develops toxic-allergic and pulmonary syndromes.

After the worms reach sexual maturity, the chronic (intestinal) phase of the disease begins in the intestines with the development of gastrointestinal disorders and anemia.

Hookworms feed only on blood.

When fixed in the intestine, the cutting appendages of the oral capsule capture areas of the mucous membrane, damaging small vessels and capillaries, causing microbleeding.

The daily blood loss when one individual is parasitized by necator is 0.03-0.05 ml, hookworm - 0.16-0.34 ml.
The level of blood loss and iron loss depends on the intensity of the invasion. Can be parasitic in humans

• several hookworms (low intensity),
• several tens (medium intensity),
• hundreds and thousands (significant intensity) of copies.

At high intensity, the disease is severe, especially in children and adolescents. In this case, it leads to delayed physical and mental development. Children under 3 years of age rarely get sick.

Symptoms

The incubation period of the disease lasts 40-60 days. In most cases, the invasion is asymptomatic; signs of the disease appear in moderate and severe forms of infection.

When larvae migrate through the respiratory tract, catarrhal inflammation is possible,

• shortness of breath appears,
• wheezing,
• chest pain,
• hoarseness of voice up to aphonia.

Possible development of bronchitis, pleurisy, pneumonia. Blood tests show eosinophilia.

When hookworms enter the gastrointestinal tract, it develops

• duodenitis with heartburn,
• lack or increase of appetite,
• perversion of taste (desire to eat, for example, clay),
• nausea,
• vomit,
• diarrhea,
• pain in the epigastrium and right hypochondrium.

Often hookworm parasitism provokes peptic ulcers of the stomach and duodenum.

In children, signs of central nervous system damage are observed:

• lethargy,
• retardation in mental and mental development.

Anemia occurs 3-4 months after infection and is manifested by symptoms such as:

• general weakness,
• dizziness,
• fast fatiguability,
• pallor of the skin and mucous membranes,
• angular stomatitis,
• dry skin,
• brittle nails and hair
• puffiness of the face,
• sometimes swelling in the legs.

With prolonged iron deficiency anemia, dystrophy of the heart muscle increases, accompanied by shortness of breath and tachycardia. In severe cases, retinal hemorrhages occur.

Hookworm infection is especially dangerous in pregnant women, when anemia threatens the life of the woman’s fetus.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis is made by detecting hookworm eggs in the stool. Given that hookworm eggs develop rapidly in feces and, when dividing, become similar to trichostrongylid eggs, the material must be delivered to the laboratory quickly.

Serological methods are not widely used.

In peripheral blood it is determined

• decrease in red blood cells to 10¹²/l,
• hemoglobin up to 70-90 g/l,
• color index up to 0.3-0.5,
• myrocytosis,
• leukocytosis - 15-20x10⁹/l,
• eosinophilia in the initial period - 50-60%, then decreasing to 10-15%,
• increased ESR.

During a biochemical blood test:

• hypoalbuminemia;
• decreased serum iron levels,
• increased iron-binding capacity of blood serum.

Treatment

Treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis or in a day hospital. In case of intensive invasion and decompensated anemia, hospitalization is necessary.

The following drugs are used for therapy:

• albendazole,
• mebendazole,
• carbendacim,
• pyrantel,
• bethenia hydroxynaphthoate.

If necessary, the course is repeated after 2-3 weeks.

In young children and severe anemia, antiparasitic drugs should be given only after the anemia has been corrected. In severe cases (hemoglobin less than 40 g/l), infusion of red blood cells is advisable.

For anemia, iron supplements are used in age-appropriate doses, and if necessary, folic acid.

In case of severe hypoalbuminemia, a 5-20% albumin solution with a volume of 200 ml or fresh frozen plasma is administered - 20 ml/kg body weight per day intravenously at a rate of 50-60 drops per minute, the frequency of administration is determined individually.

Outpatient observation of the patient for 3 months is recommended. To monitor the effectiveness of treatment, 3 scatological studies are carried out 1 month after deworming with an interval of 30 days.

Immediately after the course, the number of eggs in the feces may increase due to their arrival from dead mature parasites.

Prognosis and prevention

The prognosis for life is favorable, with the exception of young children with severe anemia.

As a preventative measure, a number of measures are carried out in areas of hookworm infection.

1. Improving the sanitary culture of the population, observing the rules of personal hygiene, washing hands, vegetables, berries, recommending not to walk barefoot, not to lie on the ground.
2. Identification and treatment of all infected people through mass screening.
3. General sanitary measures: improvement of housing, provision of sewerage, dry closets, regular cleaning of toilets, disinfection of the soil with table salt (1 kg of salt dissolved in boiling water, per 1 sq. m, once every 10 days) or potassium chloride.
4. To prevent the introduction of hookworms into mines, newly arriving workers are subject to scatological examination.

Hookworm disease - routes of infection, symptoms, treatment, prevention Link to main publication

Source: https://OGivote.ru/glisti/ancilostomidoz.html

Hookworm disease

Hookworm infection is a helminthic infestation caused by parasitism in the human intestine of roundworms (hookworms or necators) belonging to the family Ancylostomatidae. Clinically, hookworm disease is manifested by papulovesicular rash, cough, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and iron deficiency anemia. The diagnosis of hookworm disease is confirmed by identifying helminth eggs in feces and duodenal contents. Treatment of hookworm disease consists of deworming and correction of anemia, followed by three control stool examinations.

Hookworm disease - helminthiasis (hookworm and necatoriasis) caused by parasitic roundworms - hookworms. Hookworm and necatoriasis are combined into one group based on the biological similarity of the pathogens, their frequent joint parasitism in the body, as well as the similarity of clinical and epidemiological signs of invasion.

Both helminthiases in the early stages occur with allergic damage to the skin and respiratory tract, and in the later stages - with dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract and the development of iron deficiency anemia. Hookworm disease is a common parasitic disease that affects 25% of the world's population, mainly in regions with poor sanitary standards.

In terms of frequency of infection, hookworm infections are second only to enterobiasis and ascariasis.

Hookworm disease

The causative agents of hookworm (hookworm - Ancylostoma duodenale) and necatoriasis (necator - Necator amencanus) belong to the same family Ancylostomatidae. They are united by a common morphology, development cycles and effects on the host organism. Both types of helminths belong to the class of roundworms (nematodes) and, by the nature of their development, are classified as geohelminths.

The causative agents of hookworm are pinkish-yellowish in color and small in size: female hookworms are 10-13 mm long, males are 8-10 mm; necator - 9-10 mm and 5-8 mm, respectively.

At the head end of the individuals there is an oral capsule, with the help of which the parasites attach to the wall of the small intestine.

The oral sucker of the hookworm has 2 dorsal and 4 ventral cutting teeth, while the necator has 2 cutting chitinous plates.

Hookworm eggs have the same structure: oval shape, smooth, colorless shell, dimensions 66x38 microns. Each egg contains 4-8 blastomeres.

The life cycle of the causative agents of hookworm disease begins with the release of helminth eggs with feces into the external environment. The development of larvae occurs in the soil at a temperature of 14-40 ° C and humidity above 80%.

After two molts, after about 7-10 days, hookworm larvae become invasive.

The percutaneous route of infection involves the active penetration of infective larvae through the skin when a person comes into contact with contaminated soil (while walking barefoot, lying on the ground, performing excavation and agricultural work).

Having penetrated the skin barrier, the larvae enter the bloodstream, then migrate to the right side of the heart and lungs, from where they penetrate the pharynx through the respiratory tract and are swallowed again. Once in the small intestine, after 5-6 weeks the larvae turn into sexually mature helminths capable of laying eggs on their own.

With oral infection with hookworm, there is no migratory stage - the larvae immediately end up in the small intestine. The life cycle of hookworms is 7-8 years, and that of nekatoras is up to 15 years. Risk groups susceptible to hookworm infection include agricultural workers, miners, summer residents, and children.

During hookworm disease there are 3 phases: invasive, migratory and intestinal. The first phase is associated with the introduction of larvae through the skin into the human body, which is accompanied by clinical dermatitis or urticaria - the appearance of a rash (erythematous, papular, vesicular), local swelling, burning and itching of the skin, lasting for 10-12 days.

During the second phase of hookworm disease (migration of larvae throughout the host’s body), the body is sensitized by their metabolic products with the development of allergic reactions.

In addition, injury to the capillaries of the pulmonary alveoli and tissues of the respiratory tract is clinically manifested by focal pneumonia, pleurisy, bronchitis, tracheitis, and laryngitis.

Patients with hookworm disease complain of cough, shortness of breath, hoarseness, and low-grade fever.

At the site of parasite fixation, erosions and ulcers form, which can bleed for a long time, leading to the development of iron deficiency anemia. In addition, being hematophagous in their feeding method, each individual necator consumes 0.03-0.05 ml of blood per day, hookworm - 0.16-0.34 ml, which also contributes to chronic blood loss.

The intestinal phase of hookworm disease occurs with symptoms of duodenitis - loss of appetite, perversion of taste, nausea, vomiting, pain in the epigastric region, diarrhea or constipation.

With a long course of hookworm infection or massive infestation, children may experience a decrease in body weight and a delay in mental and physical development. Adult patients may suffer from irritability, sleep disturbances, and increased fatigue; Women often experience menstrual irregularities. The development of anemia is accompanied by weakness, dizziness, tachycardia, and tinnitus.

In various phases of hookworm disease, the patient can seek medical help from an otolaryngologist, pulmonologist, gastroenterologist or therapist. When diagnosing hookworm, clinical and epidemiological data are taken into account. In the peripheral blood, hypochromic iron deficiency anemia, increased ESR, eosinophilia, and hypoalbuminemia are noted.

When examining a general sputum analysis, a large number of eosinophils are detected. During the migration phase, inflammatory eosinophilic infiltrates may be detected on radiographs of the lungs; ECG shows signs of myocardial dystrophy. X-ray data of the barium passage indicate intestinal hypotension, impaired motility with symptoms of stagnation of feces.

Decisive for confirming hookworm disease are the results of stool analysis for helminth eggs or examination of the contents of the duodenum obtained through duodenal intubation. In addition, serological diagnostic methods are used (hemagglutination and latex agglutination reactions).

Since hookworm eggs have the same structure, identification of helminths (hookworms and necators) is possible only after deworming and excretion of adult individuals in the feces.

Etiotropic therapy for hookworm disease is carried out with anthelmintic drugs prescribed by an infectious disease specialist (parasitologist). The following drugs are used for deworming: pyrantel, bephenia hydroxynaphthoate, levamisole, mebendazole.

3-4 weeks after anthelmintic therapy, the effectiveness of treatment is monitored - 3-fold stool examination with an interval of 1 month.

Symptomatic and pathogenetic treatment of hookworm disease involves the administration of iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, antihistamines, etc.

In most cases, with timely diagnosis and treatment, hookworm disease results in complete recovery. Follow-up medical examination of patients who have had hookworm infection is carried out annually for 4 years; those who had necatoriasis - for 7 years. Severe complications and lethal forms of hookworm disease develop when the disease is advanced.

Preventive measures include observing personal hygiene standards - washing hands after using the toilet, protecting the skin when in contact with the ground, carefully processing fruits and vegetables, boiling water before drinking, etc.

Sanitary treatment of soil areas and environmental objects presumably contaminated with hookworm larvae is important.

Groups at increased risk for the incidence of hookworm disease should undergo an annual medical examination.

Source: https://www.KrasotaiMedicina.ru/diseases/infectious/ancylostomiasis

Ways of infection with hookworm

Hookworm infection is one of the helminthic infestations that develop in the human body. The appearance of the disease is provoked by roundworms that parasitize the organs of the gastrointestinal tract of the “host”.

There are several causative agents of the disease (they are shown in the photo below):

The biological structure of such parasites is almost identical in the early stages of their development; only adult individuals of such helminths can be distinguished from each other.

Course of the disease

In most cases, hookworms begin with the fact that worms enter the human body through the feet, their eggs (larvae) are carried through the bloodstream throughout the body and eventually end up in the lungs.

As a result of this phenomenon, the patient develops a cough, accompanied by intense sputum production - its ingestion leads to helminths entering the patient’s digestive tract (in particular, the intestines).

It is in the intestines that worms actively multiply, so helminth eggs can often be found in the feces of an infected person.

From feces, helminths enter the soil, here they transform into larvae and get rid of their protective shell. “Soil is the main source of hookworm and necator infection for animals and humans.”

In its advanced form, hookworm disease can be accompanied by numerous skin ulcers shown in the photo below - such symptoms are associated with the destruction of the protective layer of the epidermis by helminths. Areas of skin injured by worms can become additionally infected, and an inflammatory process often develops.

Often, with hookworm, even with the naked eye, peculiar subcutaneous paths are noticeable - this is the “path” that helminths make for themselves once they enter the human body.

In addition to the fact that hookworms develop due to the penetration of worms through the skin, there is also another mechanism of infection with this form of helminthiasis - through food. Thus, thermally unprocessed meat (fish), unwashed vegetables (fruits) may well become sources of parasite larvae.

Clinical picture of the disease

A disease such as hookworm disease is accompanied by fairly typical symptoms . In addition to the skin manifestations described above, an infected person may exhibit the following signs of a parasitic disease:

• when the larvae move within the lungs, the patient is bothered by an intense cough with the release of a large amount of sputum, he may develop severe pneumonia, as well as bronchitis;
• hookworm infection is also accompanied by symptoms such as diarrhea, diarrhea, loss of appetite and weight loss, acute periodic pain in the abdominal area;
• The patient is often bothered by dizziness, severe migraines, and nosebleeds;
• hookworm infections in adults cause a distortion of taste sensations and needs - some patients begin to eat chalk, earth or clay;
• Also, this parasitic disease causes such serious symptoms as anemia (anemia), as a result of which the infected person experiences constant fatigue, feels lethargic, weak;
• in some people, hookworm infections can provoke periodic pain in muscles and joints;
• the skin of patients with helminthiasis acquires an unhealthy pale tint, and many patients develop tachycardia.

In general, the symptoms of a parasitic disease depend on the method of infection by helminths. If worms have entered the human body through the skin, the above-described signs are the first to appear on the epidermis (itching, hyperemia, rashes).

When the parasite larvae immediately appeared in the digestive tract (that is, they entered the “host’s” body along with food), the clinical picture is somewhat different - first of all, with such an infection there is a long incubation period (up to several months), and the symptoms of the disease are quite blurred and atypical. Manifestations of the disease occur already at serious stages of its development.

Complications and consequences

What do hookworm infections lead to? Untimely treatment of this parasitic disease can provoke general intoxication of the body, a person's blood clotting is impaired, and hemoglobin decreases. Over time, the patient experiences frequent fainting, headaches all the time, the infected person is constantly worried about drowsiness, and heart function is disrupted.

Source: https://gelmint03.ru/parazity/puti-zarazhenija-ankilostomozom.html