What is hookworm infection?
Hookworm infection is a disease caused by several species of parasites. The symptoms of animal hookworm infection in people depend on how people get the infection. Early stages of animal hookworms, the larvae, can infect people and travel through different parts of the human body. This is called larva migrans (LAR-va MIGH-granz). People can also get painful and itchy skin infections when animal hookworm larvae move through their skin. If a person accidentally eats animal hookworm eggs, then the larvae that hatch out of the eggs can reach the intestine and cause bleeding, inflammation (swelling), and abdominal pain. Can animals transmit hookworm infection to me? Yes, but not directly. Puppies and kittens are especially likely to have hookworm infections. Animals that are infected pass hookworm eggs in their stools. The eggs can hatch into larvae, and both eggs and larvae may be found in dirt where animals have been. Eggs or larvae can get into your body when you accidentally eat or have
