Genetic Blueprint for Hookworm Drawn

Genetic Blueprint for Hookworm DrawnSubmitted by Dinesh Chandra Gaur on Mon, 01/20/2014 - 11:12 

Around 700 million people living in sub-Saharan Africa, China, Southeast Asia and Indonesia are currently infected with hookworm. This led a team of researchers from the Genome Institute at Washington University in St. Louis to carry out a research on them. The researchers have mapped the DNA sequence of the hookworm.
Main aim of the study was to know the genes that are responsible for infections caused by hookworms in humans and other warm-blooded animals. It is expected that this will help in coming up with better treatments and effective prevention strategies.
Lead researcher Makedonka Mitreva said children are at the highest risk of getting infected with hookworms. These parasites, which are just centimeter long, live in the soil and enter inside humans through their skin on the soles of bare feet.

After entering into the body, these parasites live in small intestine and thrive on blood. Once infected, people start witnessing symptoms like anemia and malnutrition. If the infection gets worse, it can even lead to death.
Mitreva said the symptoms of the disease are not quite unique and are somehow similar to other diseases. This is the reason that it is not easy to detect the infection.