title: [Imported hookworm infection in Almeria].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of immigrant patients diagnosed with a hookworm infection in the Tropical Medicine Unit of the Hospital de Poniente in El Ejido (Almería, Spain).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective observational study of all immigrant patients diagnosed with hookworm, by direct visualization of eggs in stool samples, from October 2004 until December 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 1872patients studied, 253 (13.5%) were diagnosed with a hookworm infection. In patients where hookworm was the only helminthiasis diagnosed, 8.3% had iron deficiency anaemia, 65.7% did not have eosinophilia, and of these, 25.9% had no abdominal pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hookworm is a frequent parasite infestation in the Sub-Saharan immigrant population. Many patients are asymptomatic; thus the implementation of a study protocol for immigrants from endemic areas could diagnose and treat more patients with this disease.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Medicina Tropical, Hospital de Poniente, El Ejido, Almería, España. Electronic address: jacuencag@gmail.com.
authors.forename: José Angel
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cuenca-Gómez
authors.forename: Joaquín
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salas-Coronas
authors.forename: M Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Cabezas-Fernández
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vázquez-Villegas
authors.forename: Manuel Jesús
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Soriano-Pérez
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cobo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D006725:Hookworm Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Enfermedades importadas; Helminths; Helmintos; Hookworm; Immigrants; Imported diseases; Inmigrantes; Uncinariasis