Hookworms
These are so called because they have hooks to attach themselves to the wall of the intestine and suck blood. Eggs are laid in the intestine and excreted. The larvae hatch in damp soil and after some development are capable of entering the skin of the feet or the buttocks in small children. They then enter the bloodstream, travel to the lungs, and finally move to the bowel, where they mature.Prevention of Hookworms
1. Treat all who have heavy infestations (it is seldom possible to treat all cases as many people only have a few worms)2. Keep all latrines clean.
3. Wear shoes, especially schoolchildren.
4. Teach children to use pots which can be emptied into the latrine.
Tapeworms
These look like white tape, and are long, flat worms divided into segments which contains fertilized eggs; these segments break off and are excreted in the stool. If this stool is passed outside on the grass, the grass may be eaten by a pig or a cow. The eggs then hatch out in the stomach of the animal, and the embryo gets into the muscle where it forms a cyst. If this meat is eaten raw or only partly cooked, these embryos develop into tapeworms in the intestine of the man. The pig tapeworm is more dangerous to man because he might also develop the cystic stage in his muscles or brain.Prevention of Tapeworms
1. Treat all infected people.2. Teach people to use latrines and keep then clean.
3. All meat should be inspected before being bought.
4. All meat should be very well cooked, as this will even kill the cysts in infected meat.
Roundworms
These are spread from infected soil to vegetables and food. An infected person passes a stool containing eggs into the ground, these eggs are then spread to water, vegetables, or fruit.People are infected by:
1. Drinking unboiled water.
2. Eating raw unwashed vegetables and fruit, or washing them in infected water.
3. Children playing in the dirt and then putting their fingers in their mouths or eating a meal with dirty hands.
4. Eating food contaminated in preparation by dirty hands.
Prevention of Roundworms
1. Treat all infected people.2. Make good usage of latrines.
3. Teach children to use pots which can be emptied into the latrine.
4. Wash hands before meals and before preparing food.
5. Do not allow children to play in dirty soil, but provide then with clean sand. If nobody excreted in the compound then it would be safe and clean for children to play in.
6. Wash all kinds of fruit and vegetables which are eaten raw.
Threadworms
These are small white worms which live in the large bowel and rectum and look like bits of white cotton. The eggs are taken into the child's mouth from infected food or fingers. The female moves outside the anus at night to lay eggs. This causes the child to scratch and eggs get into the fingers, the child then sucks his fingers and reinfects himself.Prevention of Threadworms
1. Treat all infected persons (parents can be infected by children).2. Keep the child's nails short and clean.
3. During treatment boil all bed-clothes and clothing, and put into the sun.
4. The child should have a clean boiled pair of knickers or a napkin put on each night to help prevent reinfection during sleep.
Guinea-Worm
This grow up to 3 feet long under the skin of the leg and forms a sore near the foot. Small larvae escape from this when the infected person stands in water. They are then eaten by the Cyclops water-flea, which, if it gets into drinking water is swallowed by people. These worms take months to grow fully, and then appear, forming a sore as before.Prevention of Guinea-Worms
1. Infected people should not bathe or stand in water.2. All drinking water should be filtered or boiled.
3. Good wells should be dug.
4. All infected persons should be treated.
