A Case Report on Ancylostoma Duodenale Infection in Pregnant Woman

The hookworm infection is the leading neglected tropical disease among the 20 diseases listed by WHO. Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus are two principal species of hookworm known to infect humans. A. duodenale is a soil transmitted helminths. Hookworm infection gives rise to iron deficiency anemia (IDA), stable weight, tiredness, etc. in a pregnant woman. The main infection route for Ancylostoma duodenale is in humans is through the skin. Each worm sucks the blood between 0.1 to 0.4 ml of blood /day. The blood loss due to hookworm can be 250ml/day in heavy infection. Iron Deficiency Anaemia is common in hookworm infected patients. This case was encountered during a survey on awareness of healthy habits during pregnancy in the study area. The woman was enrolled in our field survey. The woman was found to be positive for infection of Ancylostoma duodenale in her 2nd trimester as reported by RT-PCR and Microbiological study of feacal samples. Hookworm infection is still an important issue for community health even after the health education programs and early intervention can help to tackle future complications.