What people tend to think of when they think of worms is earthworms in apples or at the end of a fishing hook or hiding from a bird. The worms that we have been learning about this semester in parasitology are far more sinister. For instance, Ancylostoma caninum, the canine hookworm. These 1/2 inch long worms have 3 pairs of teeth, are either ingested or acquired by skin penetration as larvae, migrate through blood to the lungs they either make a somatic migration through capillaries to muscle, or a tracheal migration and are coughed up and swallowed, and live as adults in the small intestine feeding on blood and laying eggs. In addition, these bloodthirsty little guys pose a threat to humans, especially humans who don’t wear shoes outside. #vetmed #zoonoticdiseases #parasitology #isucvm #veterinarymedicine #hookworms (at Ames, Iowa) https://www.instagram.com/p/BnptP71FKxE/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ktchy87ml7x8