necatoriasis /nek′ətərī″əsis/ [L, necare, to kill; Gk, osis, condition] , hookworm disease, specifically that caused by Necator americanus, the most common North American hookworm. An estimated one third of the world’s population is infected with N. americanus. The larvae live in the soil; they reach the human digestive tract through contaminated food and water or through the skin of the feet and legs, attach to mucosa in the small bowel, and suck blood from the human host. See also ancylostomiasis, ground itch, hookworm. ▪ OBSERVATIONS: Most infections are asymptomatic. Symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, and microcytic hypochromic iron-deficiency anemia in the more severe cases. ▪ INTERVENTIONS: Treatment consists of first correcting the anemia if present and then anthelmintic therapy, usually with pyrantel pamoate or mebendazole. ▪ PATIENT CARE CONSIDERATIONS: Prevention includes improved sanitation for disposal of human waste to eliminate soil contamination and the avoidance of skin contact with the soil.
