What are the health problems caused by STH?
• Anaemia: Hookworms live in the intestine. They attach themselves to the intestine wall and feed on blood from the cut vessels and mucosal tissues. This blood loss causes anaemia. • Vitamin A deficiency: Worms need vitamin A to live. In many countries, people do not eat enough vitamin A-rich foods. In these situations, the limited amount of vitamin A that is eaten is taken by the worms. • Learning: Worm infected children are less able to concentrate or memorize information. They score less well in school tests. • Intestinal obstruction: If a person is constantly infected over a long period of time, the number of worms in that person’s intestine steadily increases. Eventually the number of worms can become so great that they block the intestine and the only option at that stage is surgery. This is usually the case for small children whose intestines are still relatively narrow.
