Hookworms in Humans

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Hookworms are attributed as blood suckers as they suck blood from the host's intestinal walls and damage the mucosa. It has been known that an adult hookworm sucks about 0.1mL of blood everyday. Hookworm infection is more severe in children, as it might cause growth retardation. So as soon as a hookworm infection is suspected, the wisest thing would be to initiate the treatment immediately.

There are no specific signs of hookworms in humans, particularly at the start of the infection, including itchy rash, cough, fever, abdominal discomfort and vague abdominal pain, increased gas production, bloody sputum, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. However, people who suffer from long-term infection tend to be thin, tired and weak.

Local cryotherapy is usually administered when the parasite is till under the skin. Medicines such as medendazole or albendazole are recommended for the treatment as they help in killing the adult worms. Pyrantel pamoate is another medicine which can be used by both humans as well as dogs, however, the dosages vary. It is advisable to get proper information about the adequate amount of dosages required for both adults and children from a chemist or most preferably from a doctor. However, studies have revealed that a moderately small number of hookworms in humans do not raise any concern provided there is enough iron in the diet. Problems occur when these parasites in the human body grow rapidly and increase in numbers.