title: Molecular Identification of Hookworm Isolates in Humans, Dogs and Soil in a Tribal Area in Tamil Nadu, India.
abstract: Hookworms (Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale) remain a major public health problem worldwide. Infections with hookworms (e.g., A. caninum, A. ceylanicum and A. braziliense) are also prevalent in dogs, but the role of dogs as a reservoir for zoonotic hookworm infections in humans needs to be further explored.
  
  
  
  As part of an open-label community based cluster-randomized trial in a tribal area in Tamil Nadu (India; 2013-2015), a total of 143 isolates of hookworm eggs from human stool were speciated based on a previously described PCR-RFLP methodology. The presence of hookworm DNA was confirmed in 119 of 143 human samples. N. americanus (100%) was the most prevalent species, followed by A. caninum (16.8%) and A. duodenale (8.4%). Because of the high prevalence of A. caninum in humans, dog samples were also collected to assess the prevalence of A. caninum in dogs. In 68 out of 77 canine stool samples the presence of hookworms was confirmed using PCR-RFLP. In dogs, both A. caninum (76.4%) and A. ceylanicum (27.9%) were identified. Additionally, to determine the contamination of soil with zoonotic hookworm larvae, topsoil was collected from defecating areas. Hookworm DNA was detected in 72 out of 78 soil samples that revealed presence of hookworm-like nematode larvae. In soil, different hookworm species were identified, with animal hookworms being more prevalent (A. ceylanicum: 60.2%, A. caninum: 29.4%, A. duodenale: 16.6%, N. americanus: 1.4%, A. braziliense: 1.4%).
  
  
  
  In our study we regularly detected the presence of A. caninum DNA in the stool of humans. Whether this is the result of infection is currently unknown but it does warrant a closer look at dogs as a potential reservoir.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.|Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Santosh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: George
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Levecke
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
authors.forename: Deepthi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kattula
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
authors.forename: Vasanthakumar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Velusamy
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
authors.forename: Sheela
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Geldhof
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
authors.forename: Rajiv
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
authors.forename: Gagandeep
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000723:Ancylostomatoidea / Q000145:classification*; D000818:Animals; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004285:Dogs / Q000469:parasitology*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D006725:Hookworm Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000662:veterinary*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012987:Soil / Q000469:parasitology; D013045:Species Specificity; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D018509:DNA, Helminth; D012987:Soil