10 Symptoms of Hookworms in Humans
Article Sources
- 1. 'Creeping Eruption.' Johns Hopkins Medicine, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/creeping-eruption
- 2. Wei, Kun-Yan, et al. 'Hookworm Infection: A Neglected Cause of Overt Obscure Gastrointestinal Bleeding.' The Korean Journal of Parasitology, The Korean Society for Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Aug. 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5594735
- 3. 'CDC - Hookworm - Disease.' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10 Jan. 2013, www.cdc.gov/parasites/hookworm/disease.html
- 4. Texas Department of State Health Services. 'Hookworm.' Texas Department of State Health Services, www.dshs.texas.gov/IDCU/disease/Hookworm.aspx
- 5. 'Hookworm Infection: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.' MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000629.htm
Breathing Complications
When the hookworm larvae enter through the skin and penetrate the blood vessels, they migrate toward the heart and lungs. The larvae then break away and enter the airways via the bloodstream. When an infected person coughs, they swallow the larvae and then carry it to the intestine.
The parasites mature into half-inch-long worms in the intestine, where they settle and feed. When the larvae break off and travel through to the intestine, it can cause shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing.5‘Hookworm Infection: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.’ MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000629.htm
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