Hookworm Infection

A Multi-enzyme Cascade of Hemoglobin Proteolysis in the Intestine of Blood-feeding Hookworms

“…Hookworms are blood-feeding nematodes that reside in the small intestine of infected mammalian hosts (12). An estimated 740 million people are infected with the human hookworms Ancylostoma duodenale and/or Necator americanus (13).…”

“…An estimated 740 million people are infected with the human hookworms Ancylostoma duodenale and/or Necator americanus (13). Many hookworm-infected people, particularly women and children, develop subclinical or clinical hookworm disease, including anemia and impaired physical and cognitive development, as a direct result of blood loss at the site of attachment in the intestine (12). The impact of this blood loss in chronically infected populations is enormous.…”

Cysteine proteases of human hookwormNecator Americanus as virulencefactors and implications for drug design with anti-heparin and heparin analogs: A bioinformatics study

“…[1] [2] Necator Americanus (NA) species of hookworm constitutes the majority of these infections (~85%) [3] The clinical manifestation of the disease includes anemia, malnutrition in pregnant women, and cognitive and/or physical development impairment in children [4] . These helminth blood feeders on reaching maturity can feed up to 9ml of blood per day in an infected individual by attaching themselves to the intestinal mucosa of the host, through cutting plates as in NA [5] .…”

“…The parasite eventually reaches gastrointestinal tract as fourth stage larvae (L4) to develop into blood feeding adult stage hookworms [1] An array of diverse enzymes and molecules in NA's biomolecule repertoire facilitate the pathogen's survival in the host for up to seven years or longer during the different stages of its lifecycle [5] . The most important therapeutic targets are the enzymes involved in interaction with host and in nutrient acquisition.…”

Expression, purification, and characterization of theNecator americanusaspartic protease-1 (Na-APR-1 (M74)) antigen, a component of the bivalent human hookworm vaccine

“…1,2 The most prevalent human hookworm species is Necator americanus, which has the ability to cause intestinal blood loss leading to anemia. 3 GBD 2010 has further determined that hookworms are now a leading cause of anemia in many developing countries, 4 especially affecting children 5 and pregnant women. 6 Adult hookworms cause anemia by ingesting human blood at their site of attachment in the small intestine.…”