Hookworms live in the small intestine. Hookworm eggs are passed in the feces of an infected person. If the infected person defecates outside (near bushes, in a garden, or field) or if the feces of an infected person are used as fertilizer, eggs are deposited on soil.
Where are hookworms commonly found?
Introduction. Hookworm is an intestinal parasite most commonly found in tropical and subtropical climates worldwide, particularly in Africa, South East Asia, the Western Pacific, Latin America and the Mediterranean.
Are hookworms everywhere?
In the United States, zoonotic hookworms are found everywhere but more commonly along the East Coast than the West Coast. Worldwide, zoonotic hookworms are found in tropical and subtropical regions where the parasite is better able to survive because of environmental conditions.
How common is hookworm in us?
Thanks to widespread treatment efforts, education and economic development, the parasitic worm was eradicated in the U.S. although the exact date isn't clear — somewhere between the 1950s and the 1980s. Hookworm was now just a problem of the developing world — or so we thought.
