When considering disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), neglected tropical diseases, including hookworm infection, rank among diarrheal diseases, ischemic heart disease, malaria, and tuberculosis as one of the most important health problems of the developing world. It has been estimated that as many as 22.1 million DALYs have been lost due to hookworm infection. Recently, there has been increasing interest to address the public health concerns associated with hookworm infection. For example, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently donated US$34 million to fight Neglected Tropical Diseases including hookworm infection. Former US President Clinton also announced a mega-commitment at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2008 Annual Meeting to de-worm 10 million children.Many of the numbers regarding the prevalence of hookworm infection are estimates as there is no international surveillance mechanism currently in place to determine prevalence and global distribution. Some prevalence rates have been measured through survey data in endemic regions around the world. The following are some of the most recent findings on prevalence rates in regions endemic with hookworm. Darjeeling, Hooghly District, West Bengal, India (Pal et al. 2007)
43% infection rate of predominantly N. americanus although with some A. duodenale infection
Both hookworm infection load and degree of anemia in the mild rangeXiulongkan Village, Hainan Province, China (Gandhi et al. 2001)
60% infection rate of predominantly N. americanus
Important trends noted were that prevalence increased with age (plateau of about 41 years) and women had higher prevalence rates than menHòa Bình, Northwest Vietnam (Verle et al.
Recommended amounts of intranasal corticosteroids are generally not associated with systemic side effects. Corticosteroids inhibit wound healing. Therefore, use of corticosteroid nasal sprays in patients who have experienced recent nasal septal ulcers, recurrent epistaxis, nasal surgery or trauma, a nasal corticosteroid should be used with caution until healing has occurred. In pregnancy, recommended doses of intranasal corticosteroids are safe and effective. == References ==