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Hookworms get their name from the hook-like teeth they use to attach themselves to your small intestine. People, dogs, cats and foxes can get hookworms, although some species of hookworm are more likely to cause infection in humans, while others are more likely to affect animals.
If you drink infected water or eat infected meat, the hookworm larvae travel from your mouth to your small intestine. If hookworm larvae enter your body through your skin, they travel though the bloodstream to the lungs. The lungs and bronchial passages provide the perfect route to the throat. When the worms crawl into the throat, the person or animal swallows to clear the throat, which sends the worms into the digestive system. When larvae reach the small intestine, they latch on to the lining and begun sucking blood. Feeding on blood helps them mature into adult worms.
Hookworm infections in humans are more common in warm parts of the world that don't have sewer systems or have inadequate sewer systems or sanitation practices. Hookworms are a particular problem in areas in which people defecate on the ground or use human feces to fertilize crops. Walking barefoot over infected soil can lead to infection. Children are at higher risk of infection because they tend to play on the ground.
If you drink infected water or eat infected meat, the hookworm larvae travel from your mouth to your small intestine. If hookworm larvae enter your body through your skin, they travel though the bloodstream to the lungs. The lungs and bronchial passages provide the perfect route to the throat. When the worms crawl into the throat, the person or animal swallows to clear the throat, which sends the worms into the digestive system. When larvae reach the small intestine, they latch on to the lining and begun sucking blood. Feeding on blood helps them mature into adult worms.
Hookworm infections in humans are more common in warm parts of the world that don't have sewer systems or have inadequate sewer systems or sanitation practices. Hookworms are a particular problem in areas in which people defecate on the ground or use human feces to fertilize crops. Walking barefoot over infected soil can lead to infection. Children are at higher risk of infection because they tend to play on the ground.