The organization of the extensive hookworm campaigns carried out in many parts of the world has been based on certain general principles. One of the most widely adopted of these is the assumption that every person whose feces contain ova should be considered a case of hookworm disease. It is now clear, however, that this assumption is untenable. In the economic control of hookworm disease, the essential factor is not the presence of hookworm infestation in an individual or in a community, but its existence in sufficiently severe form to be of economic importance.
From studies made in North, South, and Central America, various workers have drawn a distinction between light infestation with hookworms, or a carrier state, and heavy infestation, or hookworm disease. This view has been vigorously challenged by Dr. Clayton Lane1 (Lane, 1922) and others, who hold that any case of infestation must be considered disease.
SMILLIE WG, AUGUSTINE DL. HOOKWORM INFESTATION: THE EFFECT OF VARYING INTENSITIES ON THE PHYSICAL CONDITION OF SCHOOL CHILDREN. Am J Dis Child. 1926;31(2):151–168. doi:10.1001/archpedi.1926.04130020003001
Customize your JAMA Network experience by selecting one or more topics from the list below.
Create a personal account or sign in to: