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Fig. 2 | Parasites & Vectors

Fig. 2

From: Of dogs and hookworms: man’s best friend and his parasites as a model for translational biomedical research

Fig. 2

Hookworm life-cycles. Life-cycle a Ova contained in infected faeces hatch in soil and larvae live freely for up to two moults. Third-stage larvae (L3) come in contact with skin and penetrate the epidermis. Migrating through the lymphatic and circulatory system they end up in the lung. Larvae mature en route to the upper gastrointestinal tract via the pharynx and become fifth-stage larvae in the duodenum. Once attached to the small intestine they feed, become mature to reproductive capacity and mate. Eggs produced by the female worm are then shed in faeces. Alternatively, the free-living larvae are capable of infection through the oral route. These organisms are capable in some cases of latent stage/hypobiosis and trans-mammary or placental transmission. Life-cycle b does not include oral transmission. Latent stage/hypobiosis and alternative transfection routes are not reported in these organisms

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