 2 main types: Old world and New
world hookworms
 Scientific name:
A. duodenale (Old World)
 N. americanus (New World)

 Greyish white or pinkish in color
 Measure to be about 1 cm in
length
 There are males and females
 Egg hatches and
produce larva that then
develops into infective
form.
 Once at infective form,
penetrates skin and
enters blood stream,
then goes to the
intestinal system via
respiratory tract.
 Larva penetrating skin
causes allergic reaction.
 In small numbers cause:
 stomach discomfort,
diarrhea and vomiting
 In larger numbers:
 Blood loss
 Iron deficiency
 Can get creeping
eruption in dog form
of hookworm.
 Old World
hookworm found in
Europe and
Mediterranean
countries
 New World
hookworm found in
the Americas
 Treatment:
 Just a single dose of
Albendazole 400mg
 Prevention:
 Avoid areas where it is
known that the
population defecate
directly onto the soil.
 Wear shoes
 Inhabit the lymphatic system
but can be found subcutaneous
 Important parasites in this
category are:
 W. bancrofti
 Loa loa
 WHO had estimated that
approx. 106.2 million were
infected by W. bancrofti
 Intermediate host for W. bancrofti:
 Mosquito
 Intermediate host for L. loa
 African biting fly
 W. bancrofti reproduce sexually and live in lymphatic
system. Do migrate depending on time of day to get
picked up by mosquito
 L. loa will live in subcutaneous tissue and migrate
throughout the body.
W. bancrofti
 Early symptoms:
 Fever, leaking of
lymphatic fluid in
extremities
 Late symptoms:
 FDS – “filarial dance
sign”
 Elephantiasis –
enlargement of one or
more limbs
Loa loa
 Migration is not painful
 Can form rashes during
migration
 Calabar swellings
 W. bancrofti – found mostly in the tropics and
subtropics. Been found in Haiti and some refuges in
South Florida.
 L. loa – found in Sub-Saharan Africa and India.
 Also found to infect African monkeys
• American deerfly also found to be suitable intermediate
host.
 Prevention for both:
 To control mosquito population or the fly population
 DDT, Bug spray, Bed nets
 Treatment for W. bancrofti:
 Hetrazan, Notezine – actually can be obtained through
CDC
 As been distributed in mass by adding it to table salt.
 Surgical procedures in cases of elephantiasis
 Treatment for L. loa
 Hetrazan
 Surgical removal