Canine Hookworms can infect people too!

The Facts:

•  In a comprehensive national survey, nearly 20% of dogs were infected with hookworms.
• Adult female hookworms can lay as many as 20,000 eggs per year.
• There are 3 variety of hookworms commonly found in dogs.

Transmission in Dogs:

• Larvae can be ingested through contaminated soil.
• Larvae in the contaminated soil can penetrate skin.
• Larvae can be transmitted to puppies through the milk of the mother.

Activity in Dogs:

• Hookworms inhabit the intestines
• They feed by repeatedly removing small amounts of tissue from the inside of the intestines
• This "grazing" results in blood loss and inflamation
• Severe infection may lead to anemia, debilitation and even death, especially in puppies.

Signs:

• Weakness
• Diarrhea
• Pale Gums
• Weight Loss

Transmission to people:

• Through ingestion of matter contaminated by feces of infected animal
• From hand to mouth contact with contaminated objects
• By penetration of larvae directly through the skin

Activity in people:

• Hookworms do not mature into adults in a human as they do in dogs
• Commonly, hookworm larvae migrate just under the skin, resulting in cutaneius larva migrans.
• Like roundworm larvae, hookworms penetrate seeper tissues, causing visceral larva migrans.
• In rare cases, hookworm larvae may infect the small intestine, causing enteritis