Ankylostomiasis

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A parasitic infection caused by hookworms that attach to the intestinal walls, leading to symptoms such as anemia, abdominal pain, and fatigue
2. A disease resulting from hookworm larvae penetrating the skin and maturing in the intestines, characterized by blood loss and digestive disturbances
3. An illness caused by hookworm parasites inhabiting the small intestine, causing iron deficiency anemia and gastrointestinal discomfort

Etymology: Hookworm infection has a surprisingly tidy naming history: the disease is named after the worm, which was itself named for its shape. The genus "Ancylostoma" is built from Greek "ankylos", meaning "bent" or "crooked", and "stoma", meaning "mouth", a reference to the hooked mouthparts the worm uses to attach to the intestinal wall. The Greek root "ankylos" also gave English "ankylosis", the stiffening of a joint, and the two words share the idea of curvature. The disease name adds the suffix "-iasis", a Greek-derived medical ending used for abnormal conditions, usually a state of disease or infestation. So "ankylostomiasis" literally means "a condition caused by the crooked-mouthed worm." The spelling "ancylostomiasis", with a "c" in place of the "k", is the more common form in medical writing.

Synonyms: hookworm infection, hookworm disease