Decoded: DNA of Blood-Sucking Worm that Infects World's Poor (IMAGE)

WashU Medicine

Decoded: DNA of Blood-Sucking Worm that Infects World's Poor

Caption

Researchers have decoded the genome of the hookworm, Necator americanus, finding clues to how it infects and survives in humans and to aid in development of new therapies. An estimated 700 million people worldwide are infected with hookworms, which feed on blood, causing anemia and, in children, stunted growth and learning problems.

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Peter Durbin

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Credit to Peter Durbin

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