20 for 20: Day 4: Diversity of parasites: hookworm edition

There is an astonishing diversity in the number of parasites that affect animals and humans. For example, there are at least 68 species of hookworms infecting 111 mammalian species, according to a new review article in the International Journal of Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife titled “The diversity and impact of hookworm infections in wildlife”.

Hookworms are important blood sucking parasites of mammals, causing damage to the small intestinal mucosa to which they attach with their “hook”-like teeth/cutting plates. The parasites secrete anticoagulant proteins that cause the mucosal wounds to bleed, resulting in blood loss and hence anemia in the host, tissue damage, inflammation, retarded growth and even death. The larval stage, which is the infective form, can penetrate the host (animal and human) skin, and later migrates to its preferred site in the intestine.  

The paper systematically reviews the hookworms found in each mammalian order and family and presents the data in thirteen well-organized tables. You dear reader must refer to the original article for details (click here for the article). Here is the 10,000 feet view of the reported parasite genera affecting each mammalian family studied.

Canidae: Ancylostoma (A. caninum, A. tubaeformae. A. kusimaense, A. miyazakiense, A. buckleyi, A. ceylanicum, A. braziliense), Uncinaria (U. stenocephala, U. carinii)

Felidae : Ancylostoma (A. caninum, A. braziliense, A. tubaeformae, A. pluridentatum, A. buckleyi, A. paraduodenale), Uncinaria (U. maya, U. stenocephala, U. felidis), Galoncus (G. periniciosus, G. tridentatus), Arthrostoma (A. hunanensis)

Otariidae (eared seals): Uncinaria (U. hamiltoni, U. sanguinis, U. lyonsi, U. lucasi)

Procyonidae: Necator (N. urichi), Uncinaria (U. maxillaria, U. bidens), Arthorcephalus (A. lotoris), Ancylostoma(A. kusimaense), Arthrostoma (A. miyazakiense)

Mustelidae : Uncinaria (U. criniformis), Teteragomphius (T. procyonis, T. arctonycis, T. melis),  Ancylostoma spp.

Ursidae: Ancylostoma (A. caninum, A. tubaeforme, A. malayanum), Arthrocephalus (A. lotoris), Uncinaria (U. rauschi, U. yukonensis)

Mephtidae (skunks), Herpestidae (mongoose), Phocidae (seals), Hyenidae and Viverridae (civets): Ancylostoma (A. duodenale, A. ceylanicum), Arthrostoma (A. vampira, A. conepati), Arthrocephalus (A. lotoris, A. gambiensi), Uncinaria spp.

Bovidae : Agristomum (A. gorgonis, A. cursoni, A. monnigi, A. equidentatus), Bunostomum (B. phlebotomum, B. trigonocephalum), Gaigeria (G. pachyscelis)

Suidae and Tayassuidae : Globocephalus (G. urosubulatus, G. samoensis, G. longimucronatus, G. versteri)

Cervidae and Giraffidae: Bunostomum (B. phlebotomum, B. trigonocephalum), Monodontus (M. lousianensis), Monodontella (M. giraffae)

Primates : Ancylostoma spp., Necator (N. americanum, N. gorillae), Bunostomum spp.

Rodentia: Uncinaria (U. hydromyidis), Cyclodontostomum (C. purvisi), Acheilostoma (A. simpsoni, A. moucheti), Monodontus (M. floridanus, M. aguaiari, M. rarus)

Perissodactla, Proboscidae, Pholidota, Afroscoricida, Scandentia: Monodontus (M. nefastus), Brachyclonus (B. indicus), Grammocephalus (G. intermedius, G. clathratus, G. hybridatus, G. vardatus), Bunostomum (B. brevispiculum, B. hamatum), Bathmostomum (B. sangeri), Necator (N. americanus), Uncinaria (U. bauchoti, U. olseni)

Now, it is my duty to inform you that many of the above can affect humans. No worm is zoonotic till it is found for the first time in a human. Remember that the next time you go padding around barefoot on a distant beach or mountain.

Reference:
Seguel, Mauricio, and Nicole Gottdenker. "The diversity and impact of hookworm infections in wildlife." International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife (2017).

This post is part of a goal to write for 20 mins for 20 days.