Treatment for Hookworm Disease

Treatment guidelines: Patients with anaemia should be actively corrected, often with iron supplements and, if necessary, given blood transfusions. Deworming should also be carried out, including treatment of dermatitis and killing of adult worms and eggs in the digestive tract. Pharmacological treatment, pathogenic treatment (1) Hookworm dermatitis: local skin application of levamisole or 15% albendazole ointment within 24 hours of infection. For widespread dermatitis, oral albendazole has an antipruritic, anti-inflammatory effect and kills intracutaneous hookworm larvae, and may also stop or prevent the onset of respiratory symptoms. (2) Anthelmintic treatment: Albendazole and mebendazole are widely used at home and abroad. The mechanism is to selectively and irreversibly inhibit their glucose uptake, causing glycogen depletion of the worms and inhibiting the production of adenosine triphosphate by the enzyme yohimbe dehydrogenase, leading to the death of the worms, which has the effect of killing adult worms and eggs. Repeated treatment is required for more severe infections. Adverse drug reactions are mild and transient, with only a few patients experiencing dizziness, abdominal pain and nausea; contraindicated in pregnant women. Treatment of anaemia: mainly iron supplements, which can be taken with dilute hydrochloric acid or vitamin C to improve iron absorption. For pregnant women and infants with severe anaemia, give small transfusions and slow titration to avoid heart failure and pulmonary oedema. Severe anaemia should be treated with a nutritious diet high in protein and vitamins. Treatment cycle: The treatment cycle for hookworm disease is generally 10-20 days, but there may be individual differences depending on the severity of the disease, the treatment plan, the timing of treatment and the individual’s constitution.