How is hookworm spread? Hookworm eggs are passed in the feces of an infected person. If an infected person defecates outside (near bushes, in a garden, or field) or if the feces from an infected person are used as fertilizer, eggs are deposited on soil. They can then mature and hatch, releasing larvae (immature worms).
How do humans usually get hookworms?
Hookworm infection is mainly acquired by walking barefoot on contaminated soil. One kind of hookworm can also be transmitted through the ingestion of larvae. Most people infected with hookworms have no symptoms. Some have gastrointestinal symptoms, especially persons who are infected for the first time.
How easy is it for humans to get hookworms?
Most people get the parasite by walking barefoot in soil infected with hookworm eggs. Left untreated, it can lead to unpleasant — and sometimes serious — symptoms. A single course of medication that kills the parasites is usually enough to treat the infection.
How contagious are hookworms in humans?
Mating also occurs in the small intestine. 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.
How do humans get rid of hookworms?
Anthelminthic medications (drugs that rid the body of parasitic worms), such as albendazole and mebendazole, are the drugs of choice for treatment of hookworm infections. Infections are generally treated for 1-3 days. The recommended medications are effective and appear to have few side effects.
More useful articles on a similar topic 👇
How long do worms live in the garden?How to get rid of hookworms in the yard?
