Identification of necator americanus from a community in Bo; Southern Province; Sierra Leone

ABSTRACT

Fifty clinically anaemic children aged 6-9 years old were selected in the Bo; Southern Province; Sierra Leone during April 1990. All had their stools examined for stages of intestinal helminth infections. Twenty-one were judged to be positive for hookworm on the detection of eggs in stools. After treatment with lavemisole; 48 hour stool collections were performed on 15 of the heavily infected children. Adult hookworms were isolated from the specimens of 7 individuals; and preserved in 10 per cent aqueous formalin solution. the worms were later examined microscopically and shown to possess ventral cutting plates; fused and bared spicules; and a bifid nature of the tips of the dorsal rays of the male bursa; confirming their identification as necator americanus