INTRODUCTION Epidemiology Soil-transmitted helminth infections are gotten through contact with soil contaminated with infected feces. STH infections were once common throughout the world, including the United States, and some occurrence are still seen in the U.S. each year. With proper sanitation, these infections are now common only in poorer countries. More than four billion people are at high risk throughout the world, with over one billion individuals already infected. The greatest numbers of STH infections occur in the Americas, China and East Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are among the most frequent persistent human infections worldwide. The most prominent epidemiological features of human …show more content…
When left untreated, it can cause internal blood loss and lead to anemia and malnutrition, especially in children and pregnant women. Hookworm has a large economic impact, by notably reducing a person’s capacity to learn in school, support themselves through farming or herding or earn wages. The infection cannot be transmitted directly (i.e. from person to person) because the worms require some time to live in the soil to mature. Hookworm is mostly transmitted when a person comes into contact with soil infected by human feces. The larval worm can penetrate the skin and migrate to intestines where it lives and …show more content…
Children are at high risk for whipworm because they usually play outside in the dirt or soil and put their hands in their mouths without washing them. Long-term infections can cause serious health problems including anemia, malnutrition and physical growth retardation, especially in