SEASONAL INFLUENCE ON HUMAN ENTERIC INFECTION BY ANCYLOSTOMA-CANINUM

Ancylostoma caninum, the cosmopolitan canine hookworm prevalent in dom estic pets throughout northeastern Australia, has been identified as a cause of obscure abdominal pain. To investigate the influence of clim ate on putative and confirmed human infections, a retrospective study of patients with eosinophilic enteritis and established infections was undertaken to identify the monthly and seasonal rates. The numbers se en each month were maintained throughout most of the year but decrease d in June and remained low during winter. An increased rate of enterit is occurred during spring, which preceded the wet season. It is conclu ded that climate directly influences the rate of human enteric infecti on by canine hookworms. The increase in prevalence before the monsoon season was unexpected and suggests other influences, such as extraneou s infection promoted by the irrigation of domestic gardens and possibl y endogenous reinfection of the gut by hypobiotic larvae.