How are hookworm infections spread? You can become infected with hookworms by coming into contact with soil that contains their larvae. The larvae enter your skin, travel through your bloodstream, and enter your lungs. They are carried to your small intestine when you cough them out of the lung and swallow.
Can humans catch hookworm from dogs?
People can be infected by larvae of animal hookworms, usually dog and cat hookworms. The most common result of animal hookworm infection is a skin condition called cutaneous larva migrans.
What are the signs of hookworms in humans?
Itching and a localized rash are often the first signs of infection. These symptoms occur when the larvae penetrate the skin. A person with a light infection may have no symptoms. A person with a heavy infection may experience abdominal pain, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue and anemia.
How contagious are hookworms in humans?
From here, thousands of eggs can enter the human feces. Hookworms cannot pass to another individual through personal contact. Infection can only happen when the eggs mature into larvae in soil.
Will hookworms in humans go away on their own?
Your body may clear the infection on its own, though it could take a few years. Anthelmintic medications. These medicines get rid of parasitic worms in the body. Common drugs for intestinal hookworm include albendazole, mebendazole, and pyrantel pamoate.
