
Overview
This is a hookworm egg. Hookworms hatch in damp vegetation. Their larvae can enter the human body through the skin, even without cuts or abrasions. Once through the skin, they begin the next step of their life cycle.
Review Date 8/26/2023
Updated by: Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Roy and Diana Vagelos Professor in Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, New York, NY. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.