What Is a Hookworm Infection?
2. Transmission
There are two main species of hookworms that can infect people. These are Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus. The hookworm will breed in the small intestine and lay eggs, and these eggs will eventually pass out of their host in their feces. The eggs will then hatch, and will remain in any nearby soil as larvae. Anybody that then comes into contact with the soil is at risk of being contaminated.
Contamination can also take place through contaminated food and drink. The larvae are small enough to burrow into the skin and into the bloodstream where they will then travel to the lungs. The larvae will then be passed into the mouth when the host coughs and will then be swallowed into the small intestine.
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