Hookworm diseases

**Definition:** A disease caused by an infection with the parasitic worm Ancylostoma. This disease is characterised by pruritus at the site of larval penetration. In mild infections, this disease may be asymptomatic; in moderate to severe infections, this disease may present with cough, pharyngeal irritation during larval migration in airways, iron-deficiency anaemia, abdominal pain, nausea, bloody diarrhoea, fatigue, or delayed development (mental or physical). Transmission is by direct contact with larvae from soil or sand contaminated with dog or cat faeces (by percutaneous migration of larvae), ingestion of larvae, or vertical transmission. Confirmation is by identification of Ancylostoma in a faecal sample.