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USAID

USAID's NTD Program
USAID's NTD Program

Hookworm

Epidemiology

The largest numbers of cases occur in impoverished rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and China. In general, tropical coastal communities have the uppermost-intensity hookworm infection.1-3 N. americanus is the most common hookworm worldwide, while A. duodenale is more geographically restricted. There is no known animal reservoir for N. americanus or A. duodenale.

Map of hookworm prevalance in Africa.  
Predicted prevalence of hookworm based on relationships between observed prevalence of infection among school-aged children (Data collected: 1985–2004)
Source: Brooker S. et al. Malaria Journal		  

Unlike other soil-transmitted helminthiasis infections, such as Ascariasis (roundworm) and Trichuriasis (whipworm), in which the highest-intensity infections occur primarily in school-aged children, high-intensity hookworm infections frequently occur in adult populations. Up to 44 million pregnant women are estimated to be infected with hookworm. In pregnant women, anemia resulting from hookworm disease results in several adverse outcomes for both the mother and her infant, including low birth weight, impaired milk production, and increased risk of death for both the mother and the child. In children, chronic hookworm infection has been shown to impair physical and intellectual development, reduce school performance and attendance, and adversely affect future productivity and wage-earning potential.1,2,4

 

 

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References

  1. World Health Organization: Prevention and control of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis. Report of a WHO expert committee, WHO Technical Report Series 912. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2002.
  2. De Silva N, Brooker S, Hotez P, et al: Soil-transmitted helminth infections: Updating the global picture. Trends Parasitol. 19:547-551, 2003.
  3. Mabaso MLH, Appleton CC, Hughes JC, et al: The effect of soil type and climate on hookworm (Necator americanus) distribution in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Trop Med Int Health. 8:722-727, 2003.
  4. Jelinek T, Maiwald H, Nothdurft HD, et al: Cutaneous larva migrants in travelers: Synopsis of histories, symptoms, and treatment of 98 patients. Clin Infect Dis. 19:1062-1066, 1994.