African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 2 (11), pp. 470-473, November 2003

Full Length Research Paper

Relative prevalence of the human hookworm species, Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale in an urban community in Ogun State, Nigeria

AA Adenusi^1* and EOA Ogunyomi^2†

¹Department of Biological Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo University, P.M.B. 2002, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Nigeria.

²Primary Health Care Department, Sagamu Local Government Secretariat, Ogun State. Nigeria.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: aaadenusi@yahoo.com.

^†Recent address: Primary Health Care Centre, Ilishan, Ogun State. Nigeria.

Accepted 17 October 2003

In order to estimate the proportion of hookworm infections represented by Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale, the 2 major species of human hookworms in Nigeria, stool samples from 1253 hookworm-positive schoolchildren were cultured to the third-stage (L₃), filariform larvae, using the Harada-Mori test-tube method. N. americanus larvae were recovered from a total of 1177 (93.9%) coprocultures while A. duodenale larvae were recovered from a total of 274 (21.9%) stool cultures. 58.2% of the hookworm infections were due solely to N. americanus, 6.1% solely to A.  duodenale and 25.8% were mixed infections with both species. In all mixed infections, much higher number of N. americanus larvae were recorded compared with those of A.  duodenale.

Key words: Hookworm species, Necator americanus, Ancylostoma duodenale, filariform larvae.