Studies on the co-occurrence of two species of human hookworm in a riverine community in Nigeria

Abstract

A total of 1,623 stool specimens from different individuals were examined to assess the infection prevalence and the pattern of occurrence of Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale in a riverine community in Nigeria. 56.3% of 823 males and 52.63% of 800 females were positive for both species of hookworm, 25.1% of infected males, and 26.1% of infected females had A. duodenale while 46.7% of infected males and 51.2% of infected females had N. americanus. 28.2% of males and 22.7% of females had mixed infections of both species. The occurrence of each species was independent of the other. The distribution of infection was age-dependent, while sex had no effect on infection pattern. In A. duodenale infection, egg counts rose between 15 and 25 years of age, but declined with increasing host age. Egg counts in N. americanus infection were more stable with increasing age of the host. The probability of recovering N. americanus eggs in the faeces was higher than that of A. duodenale. In mixed infections, egg out put of N. americanus was higher than that of A. duodenale as indicated by the higher conditional probability of recovering N. americanus eggs in the presence of A. duodenale. The egg production of A. duodenale seems to be suppressed by N. americanus when both co-occur.