In addition, sequencing of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 ( cox1) gene has been successfully used to establish intraspecies genetic differences of many strongylid nematodes, including hookworms ( 18вЂ“ 21). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) вЂ“1 and вЂ“2 regions and the 5.8S region have been used to detect and characterize hookworm infections directly from eggs in human and animal feces ( 6, 10, 16, 17). Differentiation of the genus of hookworms infecting humans is imperative because each species varies in its biology, life cycle, pathophysiology, and epidemiology, and these differences have key implications when assessing hookworm-associated illnesses and establishing control measures. However, despite these reports, relatively little is known about the clinical significance and infection dynamics of this zoonotic hookworm in humans, dogs, and cats. ceylanicum hookworms have the potential to produce clinical symptoms of ground itch (a pruritic papular hypersensitivity response caused by the entry of helminths into the skin), epigastric pain, diarrhea, and anemia in humans ( 11вЂ“ 15).

ceylanicum hookworms in these animals ranges from 24% to 92% in the Asia-Pacific region ( 6, 8вЂ“ 10). Dogs and cats act as natural reservoirs for hookworm transmission to humans, and the prevalence of A. ceylanicum hookwormвЂ“infected persons in regions where this zoonotic helminth is known to be endemic ( 7). In Thailand, Laos, and Malaysia, 6%вЂ“23% of persons positive for hookworm eggs were infected with A. Recent molecular-based epidemiologic surveys have shown Ancylostoma ceylanicum to be the second most common hookworm species infecting humans in Asia. On the basis of parasitologic surveys of fecal samples, hookworms are estimated to infect 576вЂ“740 million persons globally, and over half of the infections occur in Asia and the Pacific regions ( 2). Human infections with Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale hookworms continue to be recognized as a leading cause of iron deficiency anemia and protein malnutrition in developing countries ( 1).

Symptoms of canine hookworms in humans