A Memphis teen, along with at least four other individuals, are infected by hookworms after a visit to a Florida beach. What are some important things to know about hookworms?

Teen Gets Infected On Beach Trip

In a Facebook post, Kelli Dumas shared how her 17-year-old son, Michael, had been suffering from a hookworm infection since a trip to the beach in June. Evidently, the teen’s friends buried him in the beach sand for fun, and he experienced an earache and developed a rash soon after.

Doctors told the family that Michael had been infected with a hookworm that likely burrowed into the skin of his feet while we was in the sand. He has since been treated with a combination of medications and cryotherapy to remove the parasitic worms from his body.

Apart from Michael, five other people in the group tested positive for hookworms.

Parasitic Worms

Hookworms are soil-transmitted parasitic worms, infecting between 576 and 740 million people worldwide. In the United States, hookworms were rather widespread in the past, especially in the southeast, but better living conditions have also significantly reduced the number of infections.

Hookworms typically live in the small intestine, and its eggs are passed around when an infected person defecates outdoors or if the infected feces is used as a fertilizer. The eggs then mature in the soil and into a form that can penetrate human skin, which is why the most common way that people contract hookworms is through walking on the contaminated soil barefoot. There is, however, a type of hookworm that may also be contracted by ingesting the larva.

Most of the infected people do not develop symptoms, but some may experience gastrointestinal problems. Some may also experience anemia, protein loss, and blood loss. That said, hookworm infections are treatable with medications and perhaps iron supplements for those who experienced anemia.

Preventing Hookworm Infections

According to the CDC, the best way to prevent hookworm infections is by not walking barefoot in places where hookworm is common or places where there is possible human fecal contamination. It’s also important to avoid ingestion or skin contact with the potentially contaminated soil and to avoid defecating outdoors.

In some places in developing countries, however, certain populations may be given preventive treatment even before stool examinations. Often, these are given to young children, women of childbearing age, including those who are lactating or pregnant in the second or third trimester, and individuals whose jobs place them at higher risk of infection. In some places, these mass drug administrations are done annually since the drugs are inexpensive and known to be safe.