The hookworm is a parasitic nematode. It lives in the small intestine of its host. The hosts may be mammals such as cats, dogs or humans. Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus are two types of hookworms that infect humans. It is thought that hookworms infect more than 600 million people around the world. The A. braziliense infect the cats and A. caninum infects the dogs. The Uncinaria stenocephala infects both the dogs and the cats.
Morphology of hookworms
Deudenale worms are slight pink or grayish white 9n colour. In relation to the body, their head is a bit bent. This bend forms a shape of hook at the anterior end. Thus it has been named hookworms. They have a well developed mouth. They also have two pairs of teeth. The female worms are often longer and stouter than the male worms. Based on the presence of prominent posterior copulatory bursa, the male and female worms can be separately identified. Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus are very alike in morphology. The Necator americanus are a bit smaller than the A. deudenale.The Necator americanus has one pair of cutting plates in the buccal capsule. Furthermore the Necator americanus has a more definite shape of hook than the Ancylostoma duodenale.
Pathology of hookworms
It is generally considered that hookworm infections are asymptomatic. There are some specific symptoms a person may experience soon after being infected. Ground itch, cough and pneumonitis, diarrhea and gastrointestinal discomfort, intestinal blood loss, iron deficiency anemia, protein malnutrition etc. There are many other outcomes of hookworm infections that play a very important role in public health. Children may suffer from growth retardation, intellectual and cognitive impairment because of chronic hookworm infections. Because of worm infections in tissues, it is often seen that eosinophils, a type of white blood grows in large numbers. In cases of prolonged infections, the hemoglobin level in blood will be seen falling.
