Nematode - Necator americanus
Necator americanus
Life cycle:
- Filariform larvae (infective form) penetrate skin (can cause a rash here).
- Enter bloodstream.
- Travel to lungs; may cause pneumonitis and eosinophilia.
- Coughed and swallowed.
- Transitions to adult form in small intestine.
- Lays up to 20 thousand eggs per day; these are released in the feces.
- Eggs hatch, release rhabditiform larvae that will transition to filariform larvae and infect new hosts.
Clinical:
– Adult worms have hook-like mouth parts that latch onto the intestinal mucosa and suck blood from the host.
– Thus, infection can cause anemia, gastrointestinal problems, and developmental impairment, as the worms steal blood and nutrients from the host.
– Secondary bacterial infections are more likely in hookworm infections due to the wounds caused by the "hooks."