Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases
Hookworm Pathogenesis and Vaccine Development
Human hookworm infection is a soil–transmitted helminth infection caused by the nematode parasites Necator americanus and
Ancylostoma duodenale. It is a leading cause of anemia and protein malnutrition, affecting an estimated 740 million people in the
developing world. Most cases occur in impoverished rural areas of sub–Saharan Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia and China. In
pregnant women, anemia resulting from hookworm disease has been associated with low birth weight, impaired milk production,
and increased risk of death for both the mother and the child. In children, chronic hookworm infection has been shown to impair
physical and intellectual development, reduce school performance and attendance, and adversely affect future productivity and
wage–earning potential.
EMD and Yale School of Medicine Faculty are involved in:
- Field studies in Latin America and West Africa aimed at characterizing human immune responses to hookworm infection, with emphasis given to parasite secretory antigens
- Understanding how hookworms evade host defenses in order to feed successfully in the intestinal mucosa
- Developing novel drugs, diagnostics and vaccines in order to control hookworm infection and disease transmission in endemic countries
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